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At last the cold weather and frosts are behind us and the garden is bursting with life. June is an exciting and busy month with a seemingly endless list of things to do.

You will really have to work hard this month to keep on top of weeds and keep a watchful eye out for slugs, snails and other pests that will feast on your growing plants and veg of you give them half a chance.

Take a look at our June tips to help you make the most of your garden this month:

General

• Plant a summer hanging basket
• Gradually lower the cutting height of your mower as grass growth increases
• Spray roses showing signs of diseases such as blackspot, rust or powdery mildew
• Apply a combined weed, feed and moss killer to your lawn if you think it needs it
• Top up water levels in pools and remove water weeds with a net
• Hoe borders on hot sunny days to remove developing weed seedlings
• Continue watering anything newly planted until it has established
• Treat problem weeds emerging in borders with herbicide
• Lightly trim new growth on box hedging
• Make elderflower cordial

Vegetables / Fruit

• Finish planting out vegetable crops, including tomatoes, beans, courgettes and sweetcorn
• Sow a few seeds of salad leaves every 2-3 weeks
• Use netting to protect developing and ripening fruits from birds
• Tie in new shoots on blackberries, raspberries, loganberries and other cane fruits
• Water gooseberries and strawberries to encourage fruits to swell
• Thin out emerging raspberry canes if they’re too congested, leaving new canes about 15cm apart
• Thin out congested fruits on apples and plums – the remaining fruits will grow far larger if competition is reduced
• Sow seeds now: lettuce, rocket, spinach, beetroot, dwarf French beans, runner beans, radish, carrots, calabrese, mini-cauliflowers, spinach, chicory, endive, kohl rabi, peas, spinach beet, swede and turnips

Lawns

• Gradually lower the cutting height of your mower as grass growth increases
• Weather permitting mow twice a week
• Trim the edges and borders of the lawn for a neat and tidy finish
• Apply a combined weed, feed and moss killer to your lawn if you think it needs it
• If any bare patches appear simply repair them with a lawn restorer product

Flowers

• Use secateurs to remove suckers growing from the stems of standard roses
• Tie tall border plants like delphiniums to their supports
• Finish planting out dahlias, cannas and summer bedding
• Cut back dead and dying foliage on spring bulbs
• Deadhead camellias and rhododendrons after flowering
• Train clematis shoots to their supports
• Finish dividing hardy primulas
• Prune early summer-flowering shrubs like philadelphus and deutzia once the flowers are over
• Sow seeds now: wallflowers, sweet Williams, Canterbury bells and forget-me-nots

Greenhouse

• Increase greenhouse shading if temperatures inside are getting very hot
• Take cuttings from houseplants
• Damp down the greenhouse floor every morning
• Water pots and growing bags daily
• Set up a ‘watering bench’ using capillary matting to look after pot plants
• Sow seeds of Christmas cherry (solanum) to grow as winter pot plants
• Hang yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse to help control whitefly
• Thin out heavy crops of peaches and nectarines, leaving remaining fruits about 10cm apart
• Repot any houseplants that are pot bound

Pests

• Watch out for cabbage pests
• Watch out for red lily beetle on the tips and leaves of lilies. Squash any you find, or spray with a suitable pesticide
• Slugs can be a real problem now, particularly on hostas and salads – use good organic slug pellets, or if you want a more natural method try beer traps

Need more advice? Post a question on our Facebook page or pop into the garden centre and talk to a member of our experienced garden team.

Have we seen the back on winter now or is it still hanging on in there? The daffodils have been out for weeks now and other bulbs popping up all over the place. April is always such an exciting month for gardeners, with rising temperatures, blossoms and many of the most colourful plants flowering, things are really starting to take shape.

Although April can traditionally be a showery month it is often quite dry so keep an eye on the garden and water when necessary. Frosts are still common so be prepared to protect those vulnerable plants and shrubs.

If you need more or specific advice please post a question on our Facebook wall or pop into the garden centre and talk to a member of our experienced garden team.

General

• April is a month for sowing and planting so start off by removing weeds and tidying up borders, flower beds and areas around shrubs.
• Feed roses, borders, shrubs & spring bulbs with general purpose fertilizer.
• Spray roses against black spot
• Finish soil preparation ready for planting
• Watch out for signs of slugs and snail and protect young growth as necessary
• Buy a water butt to conserve water
• Move plants from greenhouse to cold frame
• Put pond pumps and fountains back into pools
• Clean out bird baths and top up with fresh water

Vegetables

• Prepare seedbeds by covering them with clear polythene or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing
• Plant out early potatoes, onion sets and shallots
• Sow pots of herbs; parsley, coriander and basil
• Plant perennial vegetables such as asparagus, artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes. They like a sunny well drained bed.
• If you have already prepared the soil you can sow seed outdoors this month. Try Beetroot, Carrots, Lettuce, Leeks, Spring Onions, Peas and Spinach.
• Sow Courgettes, Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Salad indoors for now. You will be able to plant them outdoors towards the end of the month.

Lawns

• Mow regularly, aim  to keep a constant length now for the rest of the year
• Prevent grass creeping into your borders by creating a 3″ gutter along the edge
• Reseed any bare patches and keep watered. Don’t mow until the new grass has reached 2″ to 3″, then mow on highest setting at first.
• Use a high nitrogen spring fertiliser and if moss killer if needed.
• Now is a good time to apply weed killer.
• To repair bumps and hollows peel back the turf, remove or add soil, and then replacing the turf.

Greenhouse

• Make sure guttering is free from leaves and twigs
• Plants will need watering at least every few days, seedlings will need watering on a daily basis.
• Open vents on warmer days to prevent the greenhouse getting too humid.
• Don’t put your heater away just yet as there can still be a few frosts this month.
• Prick out seedlings once they have developed their leaves
• Pinch out shoot tips on fuchsias to encourage bushier plants
• Sow seeds of marrows, courgettes, squashes, cucumbers and melons

Herbaceous borders

• You can sow sweet peas outside this month. Prepare your wigwam supports for them to climb up, and use a light twine to tie the plants in.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs if you haven’t done so already – Alliums and Agapanthus in borders (also ideal for patio containers). Prepare the soil first, to ensure sufficient drainage, this should prevent the bulbs rotting.
• You can still plant herbaceous perennials month, such as Geranium & Aubretia.
• If you want a continuous crop of cut flowers this summer plant perennials such as delphiniums and annuals.

Shrubs, trees, hedges

• Evergreen trees and shrubs can be moved now. Make sure the soil is not waterlogged or frozen , keep them well watered for the next few months until they are established in their new position.
• Plant roses and feed with a granular rose fertiliser as they come into growth
• Prune established bush and standard roses as they start growing but before any leaves unfurl
• Tie in climbing and rambling roses
• Protect fruit blossom from late frosts

Need more advice? Post a question on our Facebook wall or pop into the garden centre and talk to a member of our experienced garden team.

Ok so it’s still a bit wintery out there with snow, frost and cold weather, but Spring is just around the corner.

Daffodils are pushing up and snowdrops can be seen in the hedgerows.

Here’s our quick rundown of the things you can be doing this month to get yourself and your garden ready for the coming year:

1. Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under cover
2. Chit potato tubers
3. Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches
4. Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off
5. Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
6. Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting ‘in the green’
7. Prune Wisteria
8. Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges
9. Prune conservatory climbers
10. Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter

It’s the start of a brand new year and a great time for planning and preparing your garden. You might even get nature to give a helping hand this month by digging plots roughly and allowing frost to break down larger lumps of soil. If you’re looking for other handy tips for January here’s our suggestions.

Repair and preserve
At this time of year when many garden plants have died back for the winter, fencing is often more accessible so why not repair existing fencing or erect new? To preserve the life of your fencing use a quality treatment such as Ronseal Fence Life Preservative.

As you won’t be using your lawnmower at the moment, now is also a good time to give it an annual service ready for spring.

Protect
We’ve often mentioned protecting plants from frost at this time of year but please pay special attention to plants in pots. If the pot freezes (which may happen if we have a prolonged spell of freezing temperatures) it can crush the roots and kill the plant. This may not be apparent until spring when the plant wakes up, requires water and can’t take it up because the roots are dead. Protect your pot plants by protecting with fleece.

Preparing for the year ahead
Do you have any new year resolutions for your garden? Perhaps you plan to create or extend a vegetable patch? Try a new planting scheme or invest in some new hard landscaping or garden furniture. Whatever your plans, your time can be used wisely now to gather gardening information for the seasons ahead. If you need inspiration pop along to Rhinegold Garden Centre and have a chat with a member of our team.

Looking good now
When there isn’t a blanket of snow covering our plots, some plants can look really at their best this month namely: Sarcococca, Hamamelis and Gaultheria

Here is our top tips list for things to do in January…

GENERAL

• Ensure wild birds have food and water.
• Buy new compost for seed sowing. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
• Sow seeds directly into seed tray inserts to save time.
• Sow herbs indoors according to instructions on the packet.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• Prune apple and pear trees.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

• Plant new fruit bushes when ground is not frozen.
• Prune soft fruit removing old stems.
• Spray fruit trees with Growing Success Winter Wash.
• Chit early seed potatoes by placing somewhere light and frost-free to sprout.
• Sew broad beans in pots but protect from frost.
• Apply manure to vegetable plots.

LAWNS AND PATHS

• Keep off the lawn when frosty.
• Apply weed killer to paths.

GREENHOUSE

• Thoroughly disinfect the greenhouse Jeyes Fluid Multi-Purpose Disinfectant before use.

FLOWERS

• Prune Wisteria side shoots to encourage flowering.
• Sow sweet peas in pots of John Innes Seed and Cutting Compost for early cutting in June.

October continued as a mild month with just the occasional reminder that winter is fast approaching. However, as we enter November, the clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in. It’s a good time to take stock, get those autumn jobs done and start planning for next year. Here is our rundown of things to keep you busy in your garden through out November.

General jobs to do this month

• Clear up leaves from lawns, ponds and beds – use them to make leaf mould which will add structure and organic matter to your soil
• Make sure that any containers and pots are raised onto pot feet to prevent water-logging as the weather gets wetter and colder.
• Plant tulip and hyacinth bulbs for a spring display next year – this is really your last chance to do this
• Prune roses to prevent wind-rock
• Plant out winter bedding
• Put insulation around outdoor containers and pots to prevent them from being damaged by frost – bubblewrap works well
• Put grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees to prevent winter moth damage
• This is an ideal time to put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden and help them through the coming months
• Plant shrubs, roses and hedging plants sold with bare roots
• Move deciduous trees and shrubs once they have lost their leaves
• Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs and roses
• Clear the moss or weeds from any areas of grass and give the grass one last feed before winter sets in, this will help it to stay alive
• Introduce mulch or wood chippings – Laying mulch or wood chippings between plants and shrubs before winter can help to protect the soil as well as keeping in vital nutrients.

Need more advice? Post a question on our Facebook page or pop into the garden centre and talk to a member of our experienced garden team.