Summer has finally come to Edinburgh at long last and plants are making up for lost time with some unusual flowering combinations in the last month.  The Laburnum in our garden is in full flower just now and looking beautiful with a soft subtle scent.  I would like to plant them in gardens, but clients with children are understandably cautious.

June is the month to plant up your summer containers and hanging baskets with lots of colour.  Don’t forget to water very regularly, dead flowers and feed them later in the season. A weekly liquid feed should do the trick.

Lift and divide clumps of spring-flowering perennials. Deadhead lilac flowers and trim back stem just above a pair of buds. Prune back Clematis armandii and C. montana after flowering as required.

Now is a good time to edge your lawn to show off your flowering perennials at the front of borders.  Ensure any newly laid turf has a good soak  at least three times a week.

Plant out any tender and exotic plants in your garden, water any newly planted perennials  well during dry spells.  Tie in and support tall plants using stakes or bamboo canes.

Tie in the shoots of climbing and rambling roses horizontally to encourage better flowering.

Trim topiary  this month – especially Box plants.

Check water reservoirs in water features and top up if needed.

Keep a sharp eye out for slugs, snails and aphids and deal with them quickly.