June Gardening Tips 2025
To me, June is always about roses. They are without doubt my favourite flower and this is their month.
I was fortunate to attend the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in late May and I was drawn as ever to the roses in the Pavillion. Their heady aroma traverses the tent so you scent the exhibits before you see them. The Peter Beales stand was simply lovely with a fantastic display of patio rambling roses including Crimson Siluetta and Romantic Siluetta, both of which I planted last year at home and are doing really well.
On the David Austin stand, the new rose named for His Majesty – “The King’s Rose” – is really rather special. It is reminiscent of the ancient Gallica roses and has pink striped petals and brilliant yellow stamens which will attract pollinators. I have seen a few early deliveries in our garden centres and I expect more to be available next year.
Other highlights for me were Bowden’s Hostas and Raymond Evison Clematis exhibit which is always a wonder [more on this below].
Outside, the Boodles Raindance Garden and the Glasshouse garden were highlights for me. They are unashamedly romantic. The former was designed by Catherine MacDonald who has designed gardens for us at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in the past. The garden featured a soft relaxing colour palette of pale pinks and whites, complemented by circular bowls of water and a pool. This combination was somehow both playful and calming at the same time. The Glasshouse Garden designed by Jo Thompson was also a masterpiece in planting, with a tapestry of stronger pinks and purples.
If the sight of Raymond Evison’s Clematis exhibit has inspired you, why not try taking some cuttings from any favourite clematis in your own garden. Take a small piece of healthy stem, cut just above a pair of leaves and above the leaves below. Pop in a pot of compost with some added grit to improve drainage and water. Place the pot inside a polythene bag or propagator and check regularly. Once it is clear the cuttings have rooted, remove from the bag or propagator, pop into separate pots and grow on in containers for a year or so before planting in the border. Hardy fuchsias are another shrub that can be propagated from softwood cuttings, and they tend to have a good success rate.
June is a great month for really enjoying the garden and chores can often be limited to deadheading, feeding, mulching and watering if required.
Do keep on top of the deadheading of roses as well as cottage garden plants and bedding plants. It really does encourage repeat flowering. Cut back early perennials that have finished flowering, particularly if you don’t want them to self seed. Aquilegia in particular do a great job of seeding around the garden, clearly not a problem if you want more of them and enjoy the variation that occurs in colour and form.
It is a good idea to mulch borders after rain, to help preserve the moisture in the soil, and if you need to water, do so early in the morning or last thing in the evening when evaporation is at its least. Do feed bedding plants – they really will flower so much better as a result.
For a feast of roses and some stunning flower arrangements, do join us for the South of England Show of the Rose Society UK held at our Shepperton garden centre on 28 and 29 June
I hope you have a wonderful June full of scent and colour.
