Garden News | June
* Photographer Matt Goddard
June is the month when we gardener types usually herald the coming of a new season as spring eases gently into summer.
Last year spring came early and therefore it felt like summer arrived in May. This year it’s all change of course. Spring was much later than we’d been used to and our big seasonal explosion of colour and scent only really got going in mid-May. Therefore, if you visit us in June, and I strongly advise you do, you’ll get to enjoy our annual display of spring woodland plants still very much doing their thing, as well as the first signs of Summer interest bursting into life as well.
National Collection Rhododendrons:
‘Loderi Venus’
The rainbow assault on the senses as you walk north through the Loderi Garden will still be in full swing for instance in June with many of our National Collection Rhododendrons continuing to catch the eye and the nose. Personally, I find it impossible to walk past a Loderi Hybrid, such as the huge ‘Loderi Venus’ for example along Middle Walk, without getting a full inhale of their sweet, vanilla scent. As you reach The Dell at the far north west corner of the garden you’ll still be greeted by the mesmerising view of Candelabra Primulas (Primula bulleyana) and Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) in the Upper Dell and the river of Azaleas stretching down the gulley towards the lakes in the Lower Dell.
In a good year there will be many Rhododendrons that flower well into June but there are some specific types that are more reliable than others at this time of year. Dotted throughout the many paths that zig-zag their way from the top western side of the garden down to the lakes you’ll find the likes of Rhododendron hemsleyanum with its fragrant white blooms, the viscosum Azalea, or Swamp Honeysuckle as it is commonly known due to the unusual start-shaped flowers, and Rhododendron griersonianum with its gorgeous scarlet inflorescence.
In fact, as some of our feature Rhododendrons start to tail off towards the end of June, our Azaleas really are the gift that keeps on giving. Flowering slightly later, some of the displays along the lakeside banks are truly a sight to behold. A complementary pallet of salmon pinks, oranges and soft yellows line your walk as you meander next to the water.
June specials to look out for:
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Some other fantastic June specials to look out for this year should include the likes of our Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) on the main house lawn. Planted as a replacement for a huge specimen that used to sit almost where the Faith sculpture is now but was sadly lost in the 1987 storm, this tree should be studded with pretty blooms in June, usually starting from the top down. Interestingly, it’s not called the Tulip Tree because of its flowers but actually because the leaves, which when turned upside down, resemble the classic shape of a tulip.
Our flowering dogwoods (Cornus sp.) should also be starting their annual time in the spotlight. We have over 100 specimens in the garden and over 30 different types. Their delicate flowers start in June, with the large Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ down the slope from the entrance building often a particular highlight for visitors. Once the flowers have finished they’ll be followed by their unusual strawberry-like fruits so make sure you don’t miss those later in the year too.
As the temperatures rise, the garden team will be spending an increasing amount of time on presentation standards, particularly around the mansion area, as the weeds start to grow in earnest. We try not use any chemicals if at all possible so the weeds will be removed by hand with the annuals being composted and the more perennial tap root types being burnt. The grass will really be growing as we enter June also, so the team will be getting their engines running and mowing and strimming across the site on a more regular basis now too.
Watering will also become more of a priority in June, especially if last year is anything to go by. We’ve recently planted delicate new plants in areas such as the house borders, the herbaceous beds opposite the house, the Rock Garden and in the various pots and containers that form our seasonal displays. One area which hopefully won’t need as much watering though is our new Dry Garden next the visitor hub building. Designed as part of our tributes to King Charles and his coronation, this border contains drought tolerant plants that should be better able to withstand a hot summer as climate change, an issue which King Charles is very much focussed on, starts to affect the way we garden.
Our new Dry Garden
Restaurant Interlude
With our Restaurant Interlude hitting their busy season, we’ll be working hard to provide the kitchen team with more interesting produce from the garden during June. We’ll be growing edible flowers such as Nasturtium, cornflowers and marigolds and also tending to our micro-crops in our dedicated grow room in the basement of the mansion. The Herb Garden below the house is also newly planted with the likes of bronze fennel, purple sage, lemon verbena, woodruff, alpine strawberries and granadilla vines so hopefully they will provide plenty of harvestable material too.
So as usual there is plenty to see and do across the whole garden here at Leonardslee. I look forward to seeing you all here again soon.
Jamie Harris, Head Gardener
