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06

Early summer

What to plant in June

The cottage garden hits its first crescendo. Roses, peonies, foxgloves and lupins — all at once, all extravagant.

Sow indoors

  • Late basil

Sow outdoors

  • French beans
  • Runner beans
  • Chard
  • Kale
  • Salads (in shade)
  • Beetroot
  • Spring onions

Flowers to plant

  • Foxgloves (for next year)
  • Wallflowers
  • Sweet williams
  • Calendula
  • Cornflowers

Herbs to grow

  • Basil
  • Coriander (bolt-resistant varieties)
  • Parsley
  • Dill

Beginner tips

  • Water deeply once or twice a week — a daily sprinkle trains roots to stay shallow.
  • Mulch heavily now to keep moisture in and weeds down.

Common mistakes

  • Letting strawberries sit on bare soil — they rot. Straw or matting underneath.
  • Forgetting to deadhead sweet peas — they stop flowering as soon as they set seed.

Small garden & pot options

  • · A pot of summer cosmos by the door
  • · A hanging basket of tumbling tomatoes

Raised bed suggestions

  • · Sow chard for autumn — one row replaces broad beans
  • · Plant out leeks 15 cm apart

Plant this month

If you only do one thing in June

  • Leeks
  • Late courgettes
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Late dahlias

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