The Magic of June
June in the Garden
June always feels a little magical.
Here in the Northeast US, we spend so much of spring waiting, watching, and wondering whether it’s finally safe to plant. Then suddenly, almost overnight, the garden starts moving. The soil warms up, seedlings stretch toward the sun, pollinators arrive, and what felt tentative in May begins to feel abundant and alive.
At Sweet Farm, June is the month when the garden really starts to come into its own. The beds are fuller, the flowers are opening, the herbs are taking off, and the whole landscape begins to hum with energy. It’s the kind of month that reminds us why we garden in the first place: to be part of something growing, changing, and generous.
June is when peonies peak and die back, and when roses start their dramatic bloom (that week where peonies and roses overlap is probably our favorite week of the whole year!!). When the foliage from spring bulbs is overtaken by the greenery from coneflowers, goldenrod, spiderwort, yarrow, and other natives just waiting to show off. We see our first perennial blooms, and our annuals root deeply and take off. Strawberries are everywhere, and we are finally able to really go nuts with rhubarb. Later this month the raspberries will become our favorite summer treat.
Read on to learn what else we are doing in the garden this month...
What to Plant Now in Zone 6b
June is a great time to keep planting, especially if you want a steady harvest later in the season. In our area, warm-season crops can go into the ground now, and succession sowing (planting seedlings or sowing seeds in regular intervals) can help keep your garden productive all summer long. Try sowing carrot or lettuce seeds once a week for the whole month!
Sow or plant now (What we’re planting now at Sweet Farm):
Transplanting: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, basil, marigolds, zinnias, celosia, amaranth, gomphrena, calendula, borage
Direct-sowing: beans, root veggies, marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, borage
Keep succession sowing: lettuce, beans, herbs, and fast-growing greens anywhere you have room!
What We Are Doing in the Garden in June
June is a month for maintenance as much as planting. Once the rush of spring passes, the work shifts into helping the garden stay healthy, supported, and productive.
Weeding regularly before it gets ahead of us
Mulching around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds
Watering deeply during dry or hot stretches
Trellising tomatoes and other climbing crops
Deadheading flowers to encourage more blooms
Watching for pests and plant stress
Harvesting often so plants keep producing
Pro Tip: A little attention now can make a big difference later in the season. June care is what turns a good garden into a great one come September.
