A NIGHT in June.

The sun has long been set, the stars are out by twos and threes,

The little birds are piping yet, among the bushes and the trees;

There’s a cuckoo, and one or two thrushes,

And a far off wind that rushes, And a sound of water that gushes,

And the cuckoo’s sovereign cry fills all the hollow of the sky.

William Wordsworth, 1797.

Wordsworth was describing A beautiful night of summer, but I don’t think he had June 2024 in mind when composing it. He almost got it right with his ‘far off wind’ and ‘a sound of water that gushes’. But our wind has been a cool constant one. The water has been gushing out of the sky on most days recently. I have heard the sweet song of the blackbird and a thrush or two, but I think it has been the singing of hope, more than beautiful night of summer.

The month of May brought some relief, with some bright sunlight. In fact we had more real growth in the three weeks of May, than we have had in this June, when growth has been very slow. My air of caution when planting out too early was timely. With a few ground frosts in places, I wonder if it hit Coniston Cold?

The growing of any crop of plants, no matter which, lies with soil preparation. Good soil preparation is just as important as good plants. Dahlias’ colourful blooms are a real attraction but if you do grow dahlias ensure you stake and tie them well. A dahlia makes a lot of heavy growth and if not tied and well staked, strong winds will blow over and snap off the whole plant. The soil itself will benefit from an application of one of many soil improvers. Bags of farmyard manure can now be bought at garden centres. This can be incorporated into the ground at the same time as the fertiliser. Work it well in, so all is mixed into the soil.

June can produce warm drying winds which can affect plants if they’re not watered regularly. Don’t be tempted to just apply small quantities of water as this may result in shallow rooting. Feed all plants in pots and containers every 10 days to encourage flowering and vigour.

Our gardener of the month is Joseph Paxton (1803-1865) By modern standards, he led a short but prolific life.

Paxton was strongly influenced by John Claudius Loudon (1784-1843) in many areas. He adapted Loudon’s Ridge and Furrow glazing system in building the great stove conservatory at Chatsworth house. Nearly 230ft long and nearly 70ft high, when built it was the largest glass building in the world. It was heated by eight boilers. Queen Victoria was driven through it in her coach. Due to rising maintenance costs it fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1920.

In 1859 Paxton was selling his “hothouses for the million”. The phrase has stuck ever since. That why where we get greenhouses called a ‘hothouse’.

He took great care of apprentices, giving all his knowledge. He worked on the Loudon principal of looking after the gardeners under him.

It’s time to start feeding tomatoes. I use a liquid feed once a week. As it gets into July I give these feeds twice weekly. But my tomatoes grow big and strong and can take it.

Watering is made easy by planting the tomatoes in big pots with a hole cut out in the bottom of the pot. Then I place the potted tomatoes on a grow bag and cut round the pot removing the piece of plastic - then the potted plant is put in place. The tomatoes will then root out into the tomato planter. It can then get moisture in the bag. Feed is applied to the pot and water to the bag. Using a pot along with the tomato bag planter gives perfect results. With less blossom end rot and greenback.

Tomato greenback is a physiological problem caused by stress to the plant, rather than a pest or disease. It usually affects greenhouse-grown tomatoes and causes hard, green areas to form on the fruit that make it unpleasant to eat.

Wood pigeons are the bane of the allotment gardener’s life. They are very fond of Brassicas, cabbage and cauliflowers and can ruin a crop like a plague of locusts. But there is a simple way to trick them - black cotton thread. This can be attached loosely to split canes, so that it moves slightly in the breeze. This is suspicious to a bird and they will keep away from anything they are unsure about. Using the above is simple and a cheap way to prevent damage. Some use net placed right over the crop, but it is cumbersome. And black cotton is the better option. But remember to remove the cotton after your crops are harvested, as if left hedgehogs can get tangled up in the thread.

And while we’re on the subject of hedgehogs, remember when using strimmers to be mindful of hogs. Always keep a keen eye out when strimming areas of thicket, where the hogs love to play. A strimmer can easily take off a leg and be fatal to the wandering hedgehog, especially at this time of year when young ones are venturing out in June.

* For a copy of Peter’s book, Gardeners’ Delight, email peterfawcett0@gmail.com or call (01274) 873026.