June is always one of my favourite months in the garden. In fact, from May onwards is when I really start to enjoy the growing season. After months of nurturing seedlings indoors and filling every available windowsill with module trays, everything has finally been planted out. The house feels much less like a nursery, and I can focus on what I enjoy most, which is watching things grow, harvesting crops, and keeping the garden productive with a bit of succession sowing.

This month, I’ve been busy with a mixture of fresh sowings, second chances, and a few plans to keep the harvests coming later in the season.

Direct Sown Beetroot

One of the first jobs on my list was sowing beetroot directly into the garden beds. Beetroot is such a reliable crop and I love how versatile it is in the kitchen. By sowing directly where it will grow, I can avoid disturbing the roots and hopefully enjoy a steady harvest later in the season.

Basil and Other Herbs

I’ve also been sowing herbs, with basil taking centre stage. Most herbs like a cooler season, so my main focus is sowing basil. There’s nothing quite like picking fresh basil straight from the garden for salads, pasta dishes, and homemade pesto. I’m hoping for a good germination rate now that temperatures are consistently warmer.

Growing herbs near the kitchen is always worthwhile, and they’re one of the easiest ways to add flavour and freshness to everyday meals.

Second Attempt at Carrots and Parsnips

Not every sowing goes to plan, and this month I’m giving carrots and parsnips another try. Last year, I had fantastic results in growing parsnips.

My first sowing was unsuccessful this year, which can happen for all sorts of reasons..  dry soil, inconsistent watering, or simply bad timing. Rather than giving up, I’ve prepared the beds again and sown a second batch. Gardening is often about learning from what didn’t work and trying again…. And I never give up!

With a little luck and some careful watering, this second sowing will be much more successful.

French Beans in Every Spare Space

French beans have been a major focus this month. I’ve started some in modules to give them a strong start before planting out, but I’ve also been direct sowing them around the other vegetables..

In particular, I’ve tucked beans beneath my sweetcorn and pumpkins. I love making the most of every bit of growing space, and these extra sowings should help maximise the productivity of the beds while providing another crop to harvest later in the summer.

Getting the Runner Beans Started

Alongside the French beans, I’ve also started sowing runner beans. They are a summer staple in my garden and always seem to race away once the weather settles. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching them climb their supports and eventually produce armfuls of beans throughout the season.

Brassicas

I’m also considering sowing a few winter brassicas this month.. perhaps a couple of purple sprouting broccoli plants, some cauliflower, and maybe another two cabbages. It’s always nice to have a few crops quietly growing away for the colder months when the summer harvests begin to wind down.

One crop I’m less certain about is calabrese. I seem to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it at this time of year. On one hand, I enjoy growing it and harvesting those fresh heads from the garden. On the other, the inevitable caterpillar invasion drives me mad. No matter how vigilant I try to be, they always seem to find their way onto the plants, and there’s nothing more frustrating than discovering everything has been demolished after all the effort of raising the seedlings. I’ll probably sow some anyway… but not without a little grumbling!

More Cucumbers on the Way

I’m also planning to plant more cucumbers. They were one of my favourite crops last year, and having extra plants means a better chance of keeping up with summer harvesting. Whether eaten fresh, added to salads, or turned into pickles, cucumbers never go to waste in our house.

Succession Sowing Lettuce

Lettuce is another crop I’ll be adding more of this month. Rather than sowing everything at once, I prefer succession sowing every few weeks. This helps avoid the feast-or-famine cycle and ensures a continuous supply of fresh leaves throughout the season.

There’s nothing better than stepping outside and picking a fresh salad straight from the garden.

Looking Ahead

This time of year feels like a turning point in the gardening calendar. The frantic seed starting phase is largely over, the module trays have disappeared from the house, and most crops are now growing in their final positions. From here, it’s about harvesting what is ready, keeping up with succession sowing, and enjoying the results of all the work put in during spring.

Although a few crops haven’t gone exactly to plan so far, that’s all part of gardening. Every season brings successes, failures, and lessons to learn. Between the beetroot, herbs, carrots, parsnips, French beans, runner beans, cucumbers and lettuce, the garden is filling up nicely and there’s plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead.