Planting All My Seeds in June
In the realm of gardening, June marks a unique transition: Your carefully nurtured seedlings from spring have finally made their way into the ground. Surprisingly, it's time to ponder over the seeds for fall. Meanwhile, outside there's still a plethora of direct sowing opportunities - summer cucurbits and annual flowers.
Direct Sowing: Embracing Nature’s Ways
For the first time, I'll be sowing a variety of vegetables directly into the soil instead of nurturing them as seedlings. Starts (seedlings grown indoors) assure success since you can monitor them, shield them from pests and weather, and subsequently plant them exactly when and where you want them. However, direct sowing requires trust and patience, whilst minimizing effort.
Initiate with your priority veggies: Sow corn and ensure beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, melons, basil, cabbage, and carrots are planted by early June. Once these are growing and you've marked their spots, plant greens like chard, kale, endive, dill, cilantro, and Asian greens around them to avoid overplanting. Sow arugula, which turns perennial, now.
After prioritizing, turn your attention towards succession plantings - lettuce, beets, radishes, and scallions. It's exciting to try radish, beet, and carrot seed tapes this year, as they offer significant labor savings. You can even create your own.
Blossoming Annuals
Sunflower seeds have just been sown, placed in rows based on height, with their mammoth counterparts at the back reaching up to 20 feet and shorter teddy bear varieties at the front. Create a mesmerising sunflower wall by interspersing varieties along the boundaries. Besides sunflowers, start planting zinnias outdoors. They are available in heights from a foot up to four feet, so play with mixed heights for heightened impact. Don't forget about nasturtiums, which function as aphid traps. These should be planted throughout your garden.
Additionally, consider planting cosmos, they'll grow up to six feet tall and are perfect for filling your garden with their delicate summer flowers. It's worthwhile getting started on Ammi, a carrot flower that serves as a filler, while amaranthus is also a brilliant option.
Perennial Plans for Next Year
As summer starts sway in the wind and leave your growing room, it's time to glance at the perennials you can host in your garden. Purchasing these starts from the garden center can be costly, so it's worthwhile to grow them at home. Agastache, also known as hummingbird mint, arrives in a kaleidoscope of hues from Etsy. Its vibrancy captures my heart; even though I've not found this level of variety from commercial seed providers. Echinacea, an ornamental flower that blooms in July, has undergone a color transformation. Now, you can grow a diverse array from pinks to electric colors that will spruce up your garden.
Incorporate perennial salvia as your garden welcomes various colors and shapes. Yarrow has transcended the conventional yellow and white, with summer berry yarrow in striking reds and pinks. Columbines grace your garden in summer with their stunning bell-like blossoms. Try your hand at delphinium, a notoriously tricky seed to germinate, and see its perennial spike thrive each year.
The Fall Forecast
While August may seem far, get the preparations for fall started early. Wait until early July to begin your fall starts, but equip yourself with seeds now while enjoying the generous discounts offered across the board. Holidays are the perfect excuse for stocking up! Examine seeds from the seed houses surrounding you and seize what you need before they run out.
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Consider expanding your home garden by planting what to seed outside in June, such as corn, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, melons, basil, cabbage, and carrots. These vegetables thrive when sown directly into the soil early in June. To further enrich your garden, sow sunflower seeds, zinnias, and nasturtiums outside for a burst of color and function as aphid traps.
