What to Plant in your Garden Now

Now that Summer is (almost) in full swing, you will probably want to ensure that there’s lots for you and your guests to feast your eyes on in the garden. However, it is important that you are planting the correct plants and flowers so that they grow to their fullest potential and reach their full beauty.

Containers and Baskets

Now that morning frosts have passed, you don’t have to worry about delicate flowers getting damaged before the sun comes up. You can plant whatever you like in these, within reason. This means that you can let your creativity flow and get the colourful burst you want in your garden.

Cannas and Dahlias

These flowers are another benefit to the end of the morning frosts! If you grew them from bulbs, transfer them from the pots in your greenhouse to your bedding areas; and if you are buying established plants from the garden centre, carefully transfer these from their pots into your garden soil.

Lettuce

Warmer weather means that you can plant both a feast for your eyes and for your stomach in your garden. The taste of your own home grown lettuce will  make your summer salads taste even better! If you’re growing from seeds, be careful not to lay too dense a layer of them as it could result in overcrowding, and if you’re transferring from another pot, be sure to do so carefully. You will need to keep these well hydrated to keep the leaves green, but be aware of over watering! Water lettuces when the soil is dry early in the morning, when possible.

Courgettes

Not only are these tasty, they are also a great vegetable for beginners to grow as they require minimal effort! To begin with, you may need to bring them in at night until they’ve hardened off, just to avoid any unnecessary damage.  Courgettes will grow best in the sun, so avoid shaded spots, if possible. They are also very thirsty plants, so thoroughly water them twice a week, more or less depending on the rain.

Beetroot

It’s best to sow a few of these seeds at the beginning of June and a few more towards the end- this means that you will be able to harvest them at different sizes throughout the month. You should sow them directly into the location in which you wish them to stay; beetroot doesn’t grow well when it is transferred from pot to soil. This doesn’t mean that they don’t grow well in pots and containers, as long as they remain there until they are harvested.

Next Year’s Spring Crops

If you wish to grow your own bedding for spring, you need to plant the seeds in the next few weeks to ensure that they bloom in time. The majority of popular choices for spring bedding plants, such as wallflowers, pansies and daisies, are biennial so need planting well in advance.

What do you start planting at this time of year? Share your ideas in the comments!

[Photo Credit: photofarmer ]