What to plant in June

Five to plant in June

It's not too late — these are happy going in now and will catch up by July without protest.

• 
  Scent

  Rose 'Munstead Wood'

  Rosa 'Ausbernard'

  The deepest velvet crimson, with old-fashioned scent that catches you across the garden. Compact enough for any border or a large pot.

• 
  Bee favourite

  Echinacea 'White Swan'

  Echinacea purpurea

  A late-summer workhorse that holds its shape until November. The cone heads look fantastic dusted in autumn frost.

• 
  Foolproof

  Lavender 'Hidcote'

  Lavandula angustifolia

  Compact, very hardy, and the deepest blue-purple of the lot. Loves it lean and dry — never feed it, never fuss.

• 
  Statement

  Verbena bonariensis

  Verbena bonariensis

  Tall, see-through, magenta-purple. Plant deep in the border, never at the front. Bees swarm it from dawn.

• 
  Scent

  Sweet pea 'Cupani'

  Lathyrus odoratus

  The original heritage sweet pea — burgundy and purple, intensely scented. Pick a few stems every day and it flowers right through August.

Garden ideas to nick this month

• 

  One row, one season

  Cutting patch from a single packet

  Sow a 2m row of cosmos, zinnias or sweet peas in a vegetable bed. By August you'll be cutting a bunch for the kitchen every two days.

• 

  Topiary, but relaxed

  Steal the cloud-pruned look

  Trim a single box ball or yew into loose 'clouds' instead of perfect spheres. It softens the garden and looks expensive.

A garden to visit

Great Dixter, East Sussex

Tropical-meets-cottage, in June

Dixter never stops surprising. June is when the famous Long Border starts to settle into its real character — wild, loud, brilliantly composed.