Eynsford Gardeners' Club

Joyous June                                                         

 

Named from Juno, the Queen of the Roman gods, June is a wonderful month with festivals, flowers and longer evenings to enjoy as summer warmth and colour arrives. By the time you read this we will have (hopefully) all enjoyed a cracking jubilee weekend of village celebrations building memories to look back on. 

 

Looking forward… on Saturday 18th June there is the Eynsford Gardeners Club Summer show in the Village Hall.  A celebration of summer, do come and smell the roses (the shows’ nickname is the Rose Show), enjoy a glass of fizz or a cup of tea with a slice of delicious cake and a catch up with friends.  Enter your produce into the show, there are flower, vegetable, craft and cooking categories, something for everyone. Details can be seen on the show schedule page of the EGC website (egclub.co.uk/shows). Show opens at 2 pm to the public (1pm for staging of entries, 1.30 Judging) 

Did you know the US which has days for everything actually has a National ‘Weed Your Garden’ day on June 13th(If only one day a year was enough!!) Also June 5th is the UN’s World Environment day 2022. This years theme is ‘Only One Earth, living substainably in harmony with nature’ led by Sweden. (See the UN website for more info) 

 

Back in Eynsford and our gardens – watering (lots of), tending and feeding is June’s mantra. 

I’ve moved morning watering into an evening task as the days get warmer and plants take water better overnight. Tending my tomatoes and chillies by supporting stems and removing side shoots. Shading the greenhouse, ensuring there is ventilation as it gets hotter. Planting out seedlings and protecting the new shoots from hungry birds and the brassicas from the cabbage whites which are fluttering now. Cover any developing fruits on my current bushes.I’ll pick herbs in the morning they’ll last better. I’ll leave a few herb flowers to attract the insects (Oregano flowers attract hoverflies to eat aphids, mint attracts butterflies) I like to plant out basil to protect plants from whitefly and I ll have marigolds in and outside the greenhouse to protect tomatoes. June brings a host of insects and pests so a daily check of your plants is sensible.   I ll be feeding my plants of course while all are growing and developing their fruits. My tomatoes are traditionally slow to ripen so I may try hanging a banana (or skin) in the greenhouse later in the summer, it produces a gas to speed up ripening. 

 

The morning dawn chorus is beautiful (I know its 4am!) but it’s a wonderfu sound now as are the dusk songs.   June a month to spend lots of time in the garden caring and enjoying your flowers and vegetables but don’t forget to take care of yourself while out there, use sun cream to protect yourself and when working in the garden be careful of your back when lifting and carrying loads. 

 

Good gardening all  - Jacky Smith