June in the year 2001 - in the hills of Western Australia© John Bottomley
Jun 7, 2001
Many may remember the song: June is Busting Out All Over from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. It is a fact that nobody could accuse June of busting out all over in this State right now. It is June 8 as I write this piece and the rain has been with us since June 1, apart from yesterday. I suppose one should be thankful for that, the gardens were pretty dry.
One gardening book I read recently said that June was a month of contentment in the garden. It is of course the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere and cold nights, strong winds; the occasional night frost is with us. Hopefully there will be rain, rain, and more rain.
Most pruning jobs in the shrubbery are done in June and July. Perennials such as Abelia grandiflora and Elderberry should be given a very good prune at this time.
The cold weather has increased the number of birds in the garden. Honeyeaters, wagtails, wrens and magpies are feeding often and reduce the insect pests. Winter plantings should include many long-flowering indigenous shrubs and trees. I may have mentioned before that these attract and encourage native birds to make their home in your garden.
One such shrub Verticordia densiflora, also known as Compacted Feather Flower. Is an erect shrub that grows to 1 metre (approx 3.3 feet) and has crowded leaves. There are lots of pale pink flowers and at the base of each flower there is a tuft of long soft hairs. The lightly perfumed flowers grow from November to January. It is possible the season may extend to March. It will grow in most soils provided the soil is well drained.
Another one worth considering is Verticordia drummondii also known as Drummond's Feather Flower. This is a small shrub that grows up to 70 cm (28 inches). It has small, deep-pink flowers and the plant flowers from January or February and continues through April, and sometimes June. Drummondii prefer an open position in a well-drained soil. Keep watering to a minimum in summer. It is found in sandy soils on the coastal plain.
Most stone fruit will ripen at this time of the year with the low temperatures. It is s good idea to prepare for the planting out of fruit, nuts and vines, which should be done in July.
Citrus fruit do not require fertilising this month. Fruit such as navel oranges will be ripening and fruit fly baiting may be necessary in orchard areas. I notice the cumquat tree I planted last year has an abundance of fruit and we should be having cumquats in brandy this year. As you know the fruit should be ripening from August through November. There is no need to fertilise the citrus until the spring.
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