In my garden June isn't for roses, it's for clematis. The roses are not doing well this year -- after the brutal winter weather and then the excessive rain -- but my clematis are magnificent.
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| Some of my clematis today |
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| Climbing rose (Rosa 'Improved Blaze') |
A few roses appeared briefly at the beginning of the month. 'Improved Blaze' is long gone. The Peace rose was affected by the rain and will not be around much longer -- especially as the first Japanese beetles of the year were spotted in the neighborhood yesterday.
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| Rose (Rosa 'Peace') |
In my mind this month is divided into two parts: the time before the Master Gardeners International Conference and the days after. The conference, held at Valley Forge, was wonderful: great speakers, nice venue, good food, and outstanding gardens. Being close to Philadelphia, we visited Chaticleer (my favorite garden of all), Winterthur, Mt. Cuba, and others. It was fabulous to tour beautiful gardens that I don't have to maintain! I will be posting about them in the near future.
It's hard to be away from the garden in June, but I was happy with the work I'd done before I left: I had finished much of the planting and completed most of the mulching. Unfortunately, while I was away torrential rainfalls caused quite a bit of damage, especially to my hanging baskets and window boxes. Petunias do NOT like heavy rain. Also, deer nibbled at several plants although I sprayed a deterrent before I left.
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| The day I left for the conference it was raining; the rain continued all week. Duane was happy he didn't need to water for me. |
I am so glad I installed a rain garden. It works!!!
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| The rain garden has three basins of different depths where the water collects |
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| The first rain garden plantings were plants I relocated from other areas of my garden. Joe Pye dominates the space. |
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| I filled the rain garden with native plants that tolerate both wet and dry conditions |
The rain garden plants are beginning to fill out. (I wrote an article about native plants for the newspaper; you can read it
HERE.) I am so very proud of my rain garden.
More 'before and after the conference' pictures ...
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| Some favorite plant blooming before I left: climbing hydrangea, peonies, and bearded iris. |
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| Blooming today, clockwise from top left, rose (Rosa 'Peace'), coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea Confections™ 'Milkshake'), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), daylily (Hermerocallis sp.), beebalm (Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'). |
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| 'The Bather' immersed in the foamy blooms of Spirea 'Gold Mound' |
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| Froggy Pond is looking fine early this morning with the frogs lined up at the end. |
The Kitchen Garden is coming along ....
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| Before I left for the conference |
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| The Kitchen Garden upon my return |
The problem with writing only one blog posting a month is the shear volume of photographs and information I have to share. I've tried to condense by making collages. If you have stayed with me this long, dear gardening friends, I promise to start posting more often in the near future. But when its not raining and I have to choose between gardening and blogging ... This post is prompted by Sarah's meme 'Through the Garden Gate.' Do visit her blog at
Down by the Sea to enjoy what is happening in her beautiful English garden.
Can you believe that half of 2019 has passed already! Wishing you a happy and healthy July, with no adverse weather!
Love,
Pamela x
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| I have far too much lamium, but the bees adore it. |
I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!
I look forward to visiting your blog in return.
Love the clematis and all of your garden. Beautiful as always. I seem to have lost my clematis and I need to replace it. You've just reminded me of that.
ReplyDeleteI love clematis, too. I wish they flowered for longer.
DeleteYour clematis are stunning, it's a plant which just doesn't seem to do well in my own garden. It's hard to believe that the beds in your kitchen garden were bare soil not so long ago, just look at it now.
ReplyDeleteThe parsnip seeds didn't germinate, but everything else is doing quite well. We are enjoying lots of lettuce, spinach, and kale right now.
DeleteYour garden looks wonderful especially as you have been around all month! Your clematis and patch of bearded irises look fantastic! I'm so glad your rain garden is working. I enjoy seeing images of your garden, so don't mind if there are lots, I have the same problem too! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteOh, how I wish that patch of bearded iris lasted for more than a couple of weeks!
DeleteFor me the monthly post is a motivation to record changes.
DeleteAnd now I wonder if my iris need a LOT more water to flower for me.
I love your before and after (the conference) pictures of your garden. Oh, how much it had grown! I wish we could have a little rain. My sprinkler is going full speed right now.
ReplyDeleteJeannie@GetMetoTheCountry
We are having some horrific downpours, Jeannie. A more gentle rain would be appreciated.
DeleteYour garden is looking amazing! It's such a busy time of year in the garden, especially this year when things took so long to get going, and them exploded all at once when the weather finally turned. And yes, I know what you mean - the more there is to write about, the less time there is to write it!
ReplyDeleteAs the years go by, Margaret, I find it more and more difficult to balance the activities of gardening, writing, housework, and a social life. Gardening usually wins out to the detriment of the others.
DeleteI am the same way! Gardening, even if it is weeding or hoeing, is my preferred activity. It seems I only clean house if it is raining outside.
DeleteJeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
Jeannie -- I often feel, however, so very blessed to have such an exquisite obsession as gardening. I don't need to read the research to appreciate the emotional and physical benefits.
DeleteThe garden looks great but the photos are exceptional. I hope you're enjoying your holiday and spending plenty of time in the shade rather than toiling away in the sun.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to more frequent posts, but I agree that gardening often wins over garden blogging!
Thank you for your kind words, Frank. I did toil away in the sun today -- We have an event here in a couple of weeks and the pressure is on. Then I'll be able to relax in the shade. Hope you are having a happy Fourth.
DeleteYour garden is looking terrific Pam. Love your Clematis, our Summer varieties have just started to open. June was far too cold here, July hasnt started off much better. What a cheery soul I am.
ReplyDelete