Saturday, June 2, 2018

Happy June!





June is here and one half of 2018 is about to be over!  Seems like the days are flying by quickly.  We've had a wonderful amount of rain that my garden truly loves.  Unfortunately there have been places not too far from us that have experienced severe flooding.  Our area has mostly been spared, except the usual streets close to the river.  Today as we traveled across the Rappahannock River it was a angry, muddy, swollen mess of trees and branches rushing downstream.




The Jackmanii Clematis is blooming earlier than usual.  I think it really likes the rain.



I cut back all of the clematis rather severely in late winter as they really needed it. They have managed to come back and almost cover the trellis again.  Nature never ceases to amaze me!


The Oakleaf Hydrangea is beginning to bloom.  We bought this shrub many years ago at Monticello.  It appears to like this spot and we enjoy seeing it from our patio.


I clipped a few blossoms to put on the dining room table yesterday.  Do you take cuttings to bring inside?


This little area is our view from our patio.  The Stella D'Oro daylilies are beginning to bloom as well as the Rose Campion.  The Gayfeather Liatris will be blooming soon.  It's my plan (ha ha) to have something in bloom all season.  Plants have a way of teaching humility!


My sister gave me seeds to lamb's ear years ago and that's what we thought this plant was.  She has a huge patch of them and told me to make sure I really wanted them.  After researching the bloom I found it was not Lamb's Ear, but Rose Campion.


In our large perennial garden the Astillbe is emerging as well as thousands of Rudbeckia.  I've been removing them to the trash and am considering getting them out of this bed. Too much of a good thing can take over.



Can you see the small bee that happened to show up on the Astillbe when I took these pictures?




This is an afternoon shady garden that really likes ferns and various other shade loving plants.


This Pulmonaria is safe with this bunny, unlike the ones I've shown you earlier.


The last of the peonies have all bloomed except this one lone blossom.  I'll miss bringing them indoors.




This male cardinal comes back to the apple feeder that is full of his favorite safflower seeds.  The squirrels don't like them so it's a win-win at this little feeder.


The male robin visits this bird bath often to clean his feathers and take a bath.  We so enjoy sitting on the patio and watching his antics and the others enjoy our little garden.  Now if I can just stop seeing all the work I should be doing in the garden, instead of relaxing!  Happy June! ♥









26 comments:

  1. What a treat to be able to tag along with you as you meander through your lush and lovely gardens. So many pretty things! I also enjoyed the peek inside and the peony arrangement on your coffee table. June is particularly beautiful at your house!

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    1. Cheryl, it's so unusual for us to have had so much rain. I imagine it's the same for you. It certainly makes the plants happy and the gardeners happy as well. I still can't believe it's June! Have a wonderful day. ♥

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  2. This time of year is the best in our gardens, love to watch it growing and blooming, it goes so very fast now, just amazing. We had the hottest May ever and gladly got some rain the last few days. I was surprised to see that orange bird on the clematis bow on first photo, I could not see if it was a real bird or something fancy. Than I saw that beautiful Cardinal on the applefeeder, the same one of the bow. I think it´s amazing to see such colorful birds in the wild as we don´t have them.
    Have a nice Sunday!
    Janneke

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    1. Janneke, you are so right it goes so fast now! You are not used to the heat, but your gardens don't seem to mind. We enjoy seeing many cardinals here. They mate for life and tend to stay within the same area for a long time. We've been lucky to enjoy a couple of pairs raise their families. I hope you have a lovely day. ♥

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  3. June is certainly bustin' out all over and making up for all the inclement weather before her arrival! Our gardens are coming into their own now, but long ago I learned to accept I don't think I will ever manage something in flower for each season. Now, I go for whatever I can get around a good structure for the leaner months. Anyway, it's all looking very lovely, and now you can sit and enjoy the rewards of your labour!

    ~~~Waving~~~From Across the Pond~~~Deb in Wales xoxo

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    1. Deb, a garden with good bones is so pleasing to the eye. I think it's serene and peaceful without a riot of color. Being colorless for the long winter certainly makes me happy when flowers begin to show off.
      I have a hard time sitting when I see so much to be done in the garden, but my age and body is allowing that more and more. Have a happy day! xoxo ♥

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  4. That’s amazing how your clematis comes back with such vigor! I know another gal over in the Richmond area that has had her clematis blooming too. I guess it’s a good year for the clematis! I’ve always wanted to grow an oak leaf hydrangea- I like the shape of the flowers. I think peonies have one of the prettiest scents of all flowers. Can’t wait for mine to bloom- not too long from now! I like the apple bird feeder. Aren’t the robins fun to watch while they bathe in the bird baths? They really enjoy it! Happy June!

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    1. Liz, it has been a great year for my Nellie Moser and Jackmanii clematis. It does them well to have a good pruning. Our son gave me the apple feeder one year with a bag of safflower seeds. We have gotten so much enjoyment watching the cardinals and the chickadees visit. I'm able to see this feeder from my kitchen window and enjoy seeing them from there. I know you are looking forward to everything as it blooms in your pretty garden and I look forward to seeing as well. Enjoy June in the garden! ♥

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  5. Your garden is thriving very nicely. I love Clematis but will not grow well for me. I miss those pretty peonies and the arrangement you have looks like they are in little glass vessels in the silver bowl. Good Idea and are they bud vases? Would love to get some.
    Rose Campion, never knew that was the name of the plant. I think the magenta colored blooms in a mass are just so beautiful. Astillbe, never had luck with that but may try again, yours are so pretty. Oak leaf hydrangea, beautiful! I purchased a Pee Gee Hydrangea and it's growing like crazy, I read that it's not very well liked in the landscape by professional landscapers etc.. Maybe overused? I don't know, I am just waiting for it to bloom.
    Happy Sunday and so glad you missed all the mess this abundance of rain has caused.
    betsy

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    1. Betsy, we are getting a deluge of rain as I write this. It's been raining since overnight. The ditches are full. I think we're getting what you've had!
      I have the peony blossoms in a little glass vase that I just sat in the Rose Medallion bowl that was on the coffee table.
      I think all of our gardens tell us what they will like or not. I have a lot of afternoon shade and very little sun in parts, so I try to plant shade lovers there. I have little micro-climate areas that will tolerate some sun lovers. I always wish for flowers I can't grow!
      Have a nice Sunday relaxing. ♥

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  6. Thank you for that tour of your gardens. I so love it. I thought the the Rose Campion were just another version of Lambs Ears due to the leaves. Thanks for sharing that info with me. Do I clip and take in....YES! I love to have enough of something to be able to keep it out where I can see it or take it in. I have not had Lily a yr yet and I have learned that clipping and taking in might become an issue with her around. There are some plants cats don't need to eat on and I don't think she realizes that! Beautiful gardens.

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    1. Thank you, Pam. There are many plants that are poisonous to pets. You are wise to be on the lookout as they do like to chew on everything. It's so nice to bring in flowers from our own garden. I think a single flower is a small vase is one of the cheeriest things. Happy June! ♥

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  7. My Clematis has a lot more blooms, too, but not nearly as bushy as yours--that's because I didn't realize I should be cutting it back. And that's good to know about the safflower seeds. I've put my feeder away for until next winter because the squirrels make a mess of things on the deck. I've had several birds come up to the window looking for the feeder. I have the kind that attaches to the window so you can watch the birds through the one-way mirror. One bird clung to the screen and pecked at it. But I have lots of bushes with little berries and there are plenty of insects so I figure they just don't feel like "cooking" sometimes like me.

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    1. Cathy, my clematis were a tangled mess intertwined with the Pinkie climbing rose. I cut them all back and they seem to like that. I have an afternoon visitor in the office that pecks on the screen as well. I think it must be lunchtime for him and he's eating the bugs that reside in the window sill. I agree, who likes to cook every day! ♥

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  8. I love the picture.. I also love to cutting from the garden.. Some time I cut rose from the hearn and keep in the kitchen..

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    1. Krishna it's so nice to bring in a blossom to enjoy while in the kitchen. ♥

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  9. Your garden is wonderful and I'm so jealous that you have Cardinals at your house! We don't have them in Oregon which is so weird. And I adore their colorfulness. You're so lucky! Enjoy your flowers. I bring in my roses, lilacs, Lily-of-the-Valley and other things, too. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Thanks Teresa! The cardinal is the state bird of Virginia. We enjoy them so much. I'm sure there are birds in your area that we don't have! Our country is so vast that we both have unique birds, plants, and animals. I hope your week is off to a wonderful start. ♥

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  10. I enjoyed looking at your garden, your blooms look so healthy and pretty. I wish we had more rain.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Amalia, we received 3.5 inches of rain yesterday! That's way too much rain for an afternoon. Unfortunately some areas have flooding issues and schools were even canceled today because of it! Thank you for visiting today. xo ♥

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  11. Your gardens are just lovely. I am familiar with so many of the shade-loving plants you have in your gardens. I do love Rose Campion for I am a big fan of any plant with wooly leaves. I think relaxing in a garden is just one of the best things ever!

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    1. I agree, it's one of the "best things ever". I hope you have time to do the same each day. I know I miss that if I'm too busy. ♥

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  12. Happy June! You're garden is growing beautifully!

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  13. Happy June to you too!
    The days and months of 2018 are speeding by ... much too quickly!

    Lovely to see all of your photographs, your garden looks lovely.

    Enjoy the up-coming weekend.

    All the best Jan

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