Gainesville Garden Maintenance: What To Do In June

June is a good month for Gainesville landscape beauty; the humidity has not yet arrived (for the most part), the days are long and the kids are out of school, putting us in summertime. Our routine has changed — a change that is welcome indeed! Summertime also brings garden time, fresh-food time and al fresco dining time. Here are a few things to do inyour Gainesville lawn in June.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Summer rose care. Japanese beetles will be here before you know it. One approach to keeping them off your roses is a technique referred to as "keeping them in the green." This means cut your roses and bring them inside, because Japanese beetles are attracted to bright and happy colors.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Your Knock Out Roses will bloom all summer. After the initial flush in the spring, deadhead if the subsequent lapse bothers you, otherwise just wait a day or two. They will begin to bloom again.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® What to plant in June. After the last frost date, I direct-sow (toss directly into the garden) zinnia seeds every two weeks. Zinnias are prone to the fungal disease black spot, which shows up worse as the annual ages. Seeding every two weeks allows me to have continuous, fresh blooms. As soon as a plant shows signs of black spot, it’s pulled. But the flowers add so much color to our Gainesville lawn that they're worth the effort.   Add to ideabook by Milieu Design Add a Mandevilla vine. They are treated as an annual in most of the Southeast but will grow quickly and bloom all summer long. The Gainesville landscape plant should either be removed every year or planted in an area that you want it to take over though. It will grow like crazy.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® On the wild side. Milkweed is the only host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Asclepias tuberosais one species of milkweed that is also a pretty addition to the garden, but expect (and hope) it to be eaten to a nub. The female Monarch will lay her eggs here. Soon you will see tiny caterpillars that will slowly mature as they feed on the milkweed plant. The adults also enjoy the nectar. Other great tips for Gainesville Butterfly Landscaping can be found at The Butterfly Rainforest   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Echinacea purpurea is a pretty pollinator in Southeast gardens. After it's finished flowering, keep the seed heads for the birds to feed on.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Prune now, benefit later. Do you find it frustrating when all your Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline' bloom at once? By pruning some of your Monarda now, you will delay the bloom time of those plants. Deadhead regularly for continuous blooms. I also leave some seed heads for the finches to enjoy.
  Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Harvest lavender blooms before it gets too hot. The lavender flowers are at their peak when the bottom of the bloom is just opening; cut the stem down to the foliage. Gather the stems and tie them together. Suspend upside down in a hot, dry, dark location, such as an attic or a closet. Within 10 to 14 days, the lavender will be ready to use.   Add to ideabook by Gardening with Confidence® Herbs. Don't let your basil (Ocimum basilicum) go to seed or even flower. The stems become woody, and the leaves lose their flavor. Prune basil regularly.

This article was written by Houzz contributor Helen Yoest. Author of Gardening With Confidence® 50 Ways to add style for personal creativity. Helen is an award winning garden writer and a frequent contributor to Country Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, Carolina Gardening, and Triangle Gardener. Helen scouts and styles gardens throughout the south.