I promised that I would not focus only on our trip so I thought it would be fun to take a look at my garden as it evolves this month.
As lovely as spring is in our garden, June happens fast and furious. The weather in VA turns hot quickly. We are now experiencing 90 degree days coupled with humidity. It's a challenge to garden in this weather. So I must do what I can in the early morning hours.
When we returned home I was happy to see everything alive and well. Even though I missed Pinkie rose blooming on the trellis, I see that it bloomed its heart out. The back perennial garden was quite over grown. I had to remove plenty of Bishop's weed and more rudbeckia that reseeds itself with abandon. Cutting back the columbine and saving the seeds is a major task. Unfortunately upon our return we have been suffering with colds and generally not feeling well. Still, there is much to do. Right now all that I'm able to do is water pots of annuals. Samuel did a great job of that while we were gone.
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| Pinkie rose trellis and side garden |
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| Overgrown perennial garden |
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| Oakleaf hydrangea and Pink astilbe |
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| St John's Wort and bee |
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| Stella d'ora lily and potted begonia, coleus and geranium |
I was so surprised to see a green pepper already in the raised bed! The tomato plant is growing like a weed! This is the extent of our vegetable garden other than a few herbs here and there. We have mostly shade and therefore not many vegetables grow under those conditions. The sunniest spot in the yard has these raised beds that Grayden built for me.
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| Green pepper and tomato plant and basil |
Because many of my perennials are spring flowers, I like to plant annuals in pots to give color. I usually buy the smaller annuals and watch them grow during the summer. Here are a few that I have in the front of our home. They are already much larger than when first planted.
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| Notice the potato plant in the black pot on the left-a gift from compost! |
We've had quite a bit of rain in the last month. Mushrooms are really beginning to emerge in our lawn. We need to add lime to our lawn this fall. Mushrooms to me are beautiful in their own way. Of course, I would never eat them as I am not an expert on mushroom safety. Did you know that Beatrix Potter loved to paint mushrooms? She was fascinated with them!
"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul." Luther Burbank
Your garden is really flourishing, Martha Ellen! I can tell by the Hydrangea and Astilbe that your perennials are at least two weeks ahead of ours in the Midwest. I share your battles with Bishop's Weed. Please take care, Martha Ellen! Give yourself plenty of time to rest... and dream about your happy adventures in England! ♡
ReplyDeleteDawn, thank you for your kind comments. I think this cold has taken a back seat today, thank goodness. My energy level is not great, but it will return soon. You have a lot to look forward to in your garden. I hope you will be sharing it soon. ♥
DeleteThe sun has scorched my garden, too, burning leaves on some of the more sensitive ones. I just looked up Bishop's Weed. It seems I have some in my garden! But I've let it come up every year because it looks so pretty. Another plant came up in the same area and I just found out it's poisonous Hemlock! I just pulled it out and bagged it last week because I was concerned that Gabriel might try to eat it when his stomach is upset. He's obviously avoided it these past 3 years that it's been there, but now that I know what it was I thought I should remove it. It had a lovely white flower that I thought was Cow Parsley or Queen Ann's Lace! It was only when I researched it last week for my garden journal (I was listing the plants in bloom right now in my garden) that I found out what it really was...Water Hemlock--the most poisonous plant in North America. You're wise to leave the mushrooms alone--another possible deadly plant! I just found out that Buttercups are poisonous to animals, too. You're always seeing fields of them in bucolic English countryside photos. They must keep their sheep out of those fields. I even found out that Hydrangea flowers can cause digestive upsets in pets.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I used to let my Bishop's Weed grow also--but it began to take over the whole garden. It is quite pretty, but invasive. I do allow some to grow in a small area behind our chimney--hardly anything will grow there but Bishop's Weed. I'm glad to hear that Gabriel didn't get into that poisonous Water Hemlock! We did see fields of buttercups in England--I had no idea they were poisonous! We must not make it a habit of munching on plants! ♥
DeleteHow fun to get a volunteer potato! I'm sorry you've not generally been feeling well. Hope you're feeling perky soon. Loved the little garden tour. It's always a bit sad to miss one of our favorite flowers when they're in full bloom.
ReplyDeleteJudy, we always get some interesting volunteer plant around here. Last year we had cherry tomatoes come up in our brick planter--they were better than the ones I planted in the raised beds. ♥
DeleteI like the woodsy looking corner of your yard. I did indeed know that Beatrix Potter painted pictures of mushrooms. I just haven't seen many of these paintings, and I don't know where I could see some prints of these. Did she do a specific book or just prints?
ReplyDeleteMargot, Beatrix Potter drawings of fungi and lichens are in the Armitt Museum in Ambleside and some are featured in Hawkshead Gallery. There are books available and if you google her and mushrooms you can see some of her work. https://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/case-studies/beatrix-potter.html ♥
DeleteThank you for that link Martha!!!
DeleteYou and I have similar gardening challenges...lots of shade. Is there any judicious thinning of a tree or two that might help? We have only one tree on our lot, but lots oft trees all around. One year, John limbed up some of our neighbor's trees (they were on our roof). The neighbor, away on vacation, was quite pleased thankfully. All the shade must help with the heat, though.
ReplyDeleteYou plant annuals for extra color and I plant plates! I looked for some plants on sale, but I felt the price was too high for the pitiful things.
Vee, we do have the challenge of shade--But I'm very thankful for it during our 94 degree days like today! We have limbed up some trees here and there in our yard. Our neighbors have large trees around us also ---so it creates that shady canopy. We have elderly neighbors on one side of us that we try to help keep their fence clear of overhang, but it is getting away from us this year.
DeleteI enjoy seeing your plates on your fence. Very clever. ♥
Thank you for the early summer tour around your yard! You have quite "the touch" as a gardener, I think!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, thank you for your sweet comments. ♥
DeleteIt's always good and a relief to find things looking good when we get home from a trip. Your flowers/garden are lovely and everything looks healthy and green.
ReplyDeleteDotsie, I was so happy to see everything alive after being gone for so long. We have been blessed with rain this early summer. ♥
DeleteThe garden looks wonderful, must have made for a great homecoming.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Amalia, it was great seeing everything doing well. ♥
DeleteHi Dearest Martha, I'm glad that your garden welcomed you back, but I am sure it missed you while you were away!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed visiting and strolling through your yard!!
Many blessings warmth and Love, xxx ooo Linnie
Linnie, Thank you for your lovely comment this morning. Enjoy your beautiful gardens, sweetie. ♥
DeleteSo beautiful and I'm jealous because Virginia has had rain and we've had very little. I've had to go out and water twice a day just to keep things from wilting. Enjoy your garden, my friend, XOXO
ReplyDeleteSusan, we've been lucky so far. I was reading an article recently that rain follows rain--don't know what to think of that. Hopefully rain will come your way soon. xoxo ♥
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