What to do in June in the garden
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Days in June are often cool and overcast which means there is still time to do some planting, but putting shrubs and perennials in now means that they will need to be tended to with extra watering for the next couple months to make sure they survive the stresses of summer. It is a good month to plant tropicals like Natal plumb, bougainvillea, blue hibiscus and gardenia that prefer the heat, but they will also need to be kept well watered until established, even though they may be drought tolerant once established.
The cool days are also a good time to do the strenuous work in the garden like dividing bearded iris. If they have stopped blooming it may mean that they need to be lifted and divided to reenergize them. Too much shade, planted too deeply and needing to be divided are all reasons they will not bloom.
This is also a good time to do a mid-season clean up on plants that have been blooming all spring. Cut back, clean up and fertilize perennials. Make sure there is a good layer of mulch in planting beds to keep the soil cool and moist in the coming months of heat.
New growth and warmer weather means bugs are active. Keeping on top of them will reduce their damage on new and growing plants. Use a strong spray from the hose to knock them off plants before they get too profuse. Introducing natural predators and encouraging birds in the garden this month will help in the management, keeping damage to an acceptable level. Plants that require a great deal of attention due to insect problem may be under stress and either planted in the wrong spot or not appropriate for the climate. Instead of putting energy into an annual war on bugs or disease, it may be time to replace those plants with something that will thrive naturally and not attract the bugs.