• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Garden design
  • Container gardening
  • Food to grow
  • Gardens to visit
  • Events for gardeners
Garden Making

Garden Making

Inspiring ideas and information for great home gardens

Home » June is for roses

June is for roses

By Beckie Fox Filed Under: Garden Newsletter

I associate the month of June with roses, although for other gardeners in colder growing zones, June may be prime peony time. Sadly, there are fewer roses in my garden every year, casualties of encroaching shade from maturing trees and persistent Japanese beetle invasions. But the half dozen that remain are coddled along, because I can’t imagine a garden without a rose or two or more.

Fortunately, recent rose breeding efforts have resulted in new cultivars that are hardier and more disease-resistant than those introduced 20 or 30 years ago. Canadian-bred roses are workhorses in the garden, and several new colours have been introduced in the past few years. “Roses to inspire our sense of place” describes a few of these beauties.

Rugosa rose
Many older roses are susceptible to rose diseases, but fragrant ‘Magnifica’, a hybrid rugosa introduced in 1905, remains relatively unmarked by blackspot and is extremely winter hardy.

More about roses:

“Hybrid species roses”

“Healthy roses in bloom”

When to worry about pests

When I started our first garden years ago, I viewed any insect that landed on a plant as a potential pest, not an uncommon assumption for a new gardener. It took research, advice and observation to realize that plant health is closely tied to soil, light, climate and water challenges, and that most of the insects I encounter are benign — beneficial, in fact. Or, if they truly are pests, the infestation is often cyclical and resolves itself without interference from me, or can be mitigated with mechanical measures: hand-picking or a strong blast of water. Naturally, like all generalizations, there are notable exceptions. For example, emerald ash borer (EAB) and Asian longhorned beetle are devastating.

Vegetable gardens are also prey to pest infestations that can get out of hand, but these tips in Steven Biggs’s article “Pest guide: 10 pests to worry about” will help.

Moving into the (veggie) fast lane

Gardeners are usually known for their patience, content to plant a small tree and wait decades for it to provide shade, or wait for tiny seeds to sprout in weeks or even months. Sometimes, though, we just want quick results for our efforts. Here’s a list of fast-growing vegetables that can be harvested in six weeks or less.

Make your own coco liner

Ready-made coco liners for hanging or wall baskets usually last a couple of years before they need to be replaced. If you want to try your hand at making your own from a sheet of coco fibre fabric, here is a handy step-by-step tutorial from The Fabulous Garden.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share this article

Published: June 5, 2020 | Updated: June 5, 2020

About Beckie Fox

Beckie is Editor of Garden Making. She is a Master Gardener and published author in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Garden Making website

explore

  • Books for gardeners
  • Containers in your garden
  • Events for gardeners
  • Food to grow
  • Garden design
  • Gardens to visit
  • Growing from seed
  • How to
  • Plant ideas
  • Prizes for readers
  • Tips for gardeners

Members

  • Member login
  • Register for free membership
  • Manage your email preferences
  • Add your event listing
  • View events you’ve submitted
  • Backup form to submit event

Events for gardeners

May 20
May 20 @ 10:30 am - May 22 @ 6:00 pm

Ottawa Horticultural Society Spring Plant Auction

May 21
7:30 am - 10:30 am

Plant Sale

May 21
8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Ancaster plant sale

May 21
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Credit Valley plant sale

May 21
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Durham & District Horticultural Society Plant Sale

View Calendar

Get email updates

Join 9,701 gardeners who get our email updates. We do not share emails.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Copyright © 2022 Inspiring Media Inc. | GARDEN MAKING is a registered trademark | About | Service | Terms of use | Privacy policy