By Isle of Wight Observer
Summer is definitely in full swing now. We’ve had some lovely weather just recently and although we’ve not seen a lot of rain, we’ve had just enough to keep everywhere looking lush and green. The temperature is set to rise again this weekend and could be a scorcher!
All your vegetables should be growing away nicely, but it’s not too late to sow, such as carrots, beetroot, salad crops and beans. By sowing some more now will mean a succession of crops over several weeks. Shallots have traditionally been harvested on the longest day, June 21. Just lift the bulbs with a fork, then leave them on the top of the soil to dry off in the sunshine.
Summer flowers will be beginning to bloom now. To prolong their flowering, it’s best to dead-head them when they go past their best, or cut some for indoors to enjoy when they are young and fresh.
Repeat flowering roses should be cut regularly to encourage the following flush of blooms. Sweet peas should be flowering well already, and giving you regular bunches to cut. To keep the plants producing more blooms, you must keep cutting them every few days, otherwise the plant will set seed and shut down.
Dahlias will be putting on some lovely lush growth at the moment, and you may start to see some buds begin to form.
Any spring flowering shrubs should be given a haircut now. These flower on the previous year’s growth, so by pruning them now they will put on growth ready for next spring.
Some early summer perennials, such as geraniums, will be looking great now, but by early July they’ll start to look tired. Give them a good haircut then, to give them chance to give a second flush later in the summer and early autumn.
Keep everything well watered during the hot weather. It’s best to water early in the morning or late in the evening.
It’s a lovely time of year to enjoy the outdoors, so grab yourself a glass of something, and sit and relax in your lovely gardens!