Summer will finally be arriving this month and it is a great time to spend outdoors. While there is a lot to do in the garden, summer is also a great time to relax and enjoy the many blooms and food you planted earlier in the year. Make sure you take pictures of your garden and be sure to jot down what has worked and what is not working. You might not be planting as much, but don’t forget to deadhead your flowers, to keep them blooming. Still looking for some plants to grow, we have a few selections you might be interested in.
Here are 6 plants you can try growing in June:
Flowers
Clematis – Clematis are perennial vines with impressive flowers. The flowers come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and look fantastic decorating any kind of structure they can climb. Summer blooming vines have gorgeous large flowers, and the fall-blooming ones have lots of small flowers. Depending on the type and variety you plant the bloom time will vary from spring to fall. There are also some varieties that are fragrant and some that bloom twice during the year. If you want to plant more than one vine, try to coordinate the bloom time, so you always have one in bloom. Clematis prefer to be planted in full-sun conditions. They do like to have their roots cool, so try and plant them at the base of another plant to shade their roots. Your plant will perform best in well-drained, moist soil.
Cosmos – Cosmos are an annual flower that can be grown anywhere in the United States. They are easy to grow from seed and are not bothered by insects or diseases. Cosmos are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds who find them to be quite delicious! Older varieties of Cosmos usually come in white, pink, and purple, and newer varieties come in colors such as yellow, orange, and red. One great trait of Cosmos is their lengthy flowering season. The flowers begin to appear in early to mid-summer and bloom until the first fall frost. This makes them a great choice to fill gaps in your flower border.
Dahlias – Dahlias produce the most gorgeous flowers that will bring brilliant color and blooms to your garden. They come in every color but blue. This plant is related to chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers, and zinnias. They are best planted in a location with good drainage and full to partial sun. Dahlias are easy to grow and produce beautiful flowers that bloom from mid-summer through fall. Young dahlias do not need a lot of water and if they get too much their roots can rot. The plants can grow quite tall, so make sure to put stakes in the ground when you plant them, so you can make sure they do not topple over. Dahlias are hardy in warmer climates, but the tubers can be dug up and stored in the fall and replanted in the spring.
Vegetables
Heartbreaker Tomato – This tomato is a series of compact, heart-shaped, cocktail tomato plants. The fruit of the plant has an intriguing heart shape and soft skin. It is perfect for urban gardeners or anyone else who gardens in a small space as they can be grown in containers. These tomatoes are great for salads. They are easy to care for and only require basic watering and fertilizing. For a high-yield crop, grow them in full sun. This tomato is a newer variety available starting in 2018 and can be grown from seed or you might find the plant in your local garden center. For tips on growing tomatoes read our “5 Secrets To Growing Great Tomatoes” here.
Herb
Mint – Mint is a staple of most herb gardens. It can be used fresh or dried and is used in salads, desserts, or even steeped as tea. Most mint varieties thrive in full sun or partial shade with rich, moist soil. This plant is a vigorous grower so if you don’t have an out-of-the-way corner to grow it in you may need to plant it in a container and then sink the container in the ground to keep it from spreading too much. It can grow up to 2 feet tall and is easily rejuvenated if it starts to look ragged. Just cut it back and new growth will quickly appear.
Plant
Colocasia – Colocasia is also known as “elephant ears” and will add a tropical look to any climate. The plant is hardier than their relative “alocasia” and their leaves are heart-shaped and larger. These plants are fast-growing once the warm weather hits. They thrive in wet or moist soil. There are different varieties with the classic Colocasia having solid green leaves with others having darker leaves with green veins, and others having leaves that are almost black. Some of the leaves can spread up to 5 feet wide. Colocasia is an annual plant in cooler climates and needs to be dug up in the fall but can be stored and replanted in the spring.
