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GARDENING 095
4 things to do
IN THE GARDEN this month
1. While summer may be upon us, strong winds can damage taller perennials so stake them before they bend. Many soft-stemmed tall plants such as delphiniums, peonies and verbena bonariensis need to be tied to some sort of framework for support.
2. Drastically reduce the foliage on soft plants that have finished flowering, including the large- flowered oriental poppies, pulmonarias, brunnera and some of the hardy geraniums that have slowed their flowering rate – they will soon spring up and become revitalised. It’s also time to prune flowering shrubs that have finished their show, including philadelphus and weigela.
3. Place a bed of straw, fl eece or sacking under strawberry plants as this will reduce the danger of mildew. Wet weather is an enemy to strawberries, so water the soil, not the foliage, and protect from rain.
4. This is the best month in which to sow runner beans, French beans, courgettes and marrows. They like warm soil and will romp away very quickly, overtaking those that might have been planted earlier.
The rosy glow of June
If there’s just one bloom that epitomises the glorious month of June, it’s England’s national fl ower – the rose. This is the time that buds swell, full of promise, before bursting into colour and releasing a heady, intoxicating scent. But just when did our love affair with the rose begin?
It was way back in the 15th century after the
famous Wars of the Roses – the civil wars that tore England apart in a bid for the throne involved the royal house of Lancaster, which had an emblem of a red rose, and the royal house of York, which had a white rose. The combination of both resulted in the Tudor
rose, but it wasn’t until the 18th century that roses from around the world found their way to England. There are now more than 35,000 varieties of roses worldwide. Here in the UK, we are in love with the perfect blooms of hybrid tea roses, closely followed by fl oribunda varieties with clusters of colour, and glorious climbers that clothe walls and pergolas with summer blooms.
THE ART OF TREES
Franklinia © Jackie Copeman
June is arguably one of the best months to be out and about in the countryside and the beauty of places such as Bedgebury Pinetum near Goudhurst is probably at its height of splendour. Home to the Forestry Commission’s National Conifer Collection, this centre of excellence is known for its charm, elegance and the great diversity of species being utilised for research and conservation. As if all this isn’t enough, Bedgebury is
Cercis
siliquastrum ‘Avondale’
© Susan Conroy
currently hosting an outdoor art exhibition by the Florilegium Society, comprising a group of skilled artists who volunteer their time in support of Bedgebury.
The Art of Trees is a unique exhibition that records the beauty
of the trees at Bedgebury, with botanically accurate artwork drawn from living samples. Eleven members of the society have produced more than 100 drawings and paintings based on the annual life cycle of both coniferous and broadleaved trees in the pinetum – the works include popular native trees such as the oak (Quercus robur) as well as rare species including one that is classed as ‘extinct in the wild’ by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha. The composite images created from the
artworks are displayed on weatherproof boards situated amongst the trees, and the exhibition is free to view throughout the summer. • Visit
bedgeburypinetum.org.uk
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