A Rose in the Garden: June 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

A Snap is Back

At the church garden all the annuals are removed in latter October. Dusty miller will come back, but it returns lanky and blooms yellow. But once in awhile there are surprises in the garden and it is often those which delight the most.

This tall snapdragon, hiding in the monstrous Asiatic lily patch has returned to bloom--something of an oddball. This year, short snaps have been used and so it will be the only tall snap in the garden. The placement and the color combo offends me a little, but as I took this photo at 9:00 PM, around the time of the summer solstice, with the sun glowing low in the west, it also pleases me.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Summertime...and the living is...

Sunset over Lake Michigan, with zoom.

This weekend, summer showed up--boldly hot and beastly humid. The garden plantings that have been a little timid this spring will be enjoying a growth spurt--as long as their nitrogen and moisture are holding up.

Gardeners will be glad to see the rapid expansion of their new pots and plantings. The perennials and shrubs are already over-sized, from the abundant spring rains--four inches last weekend!

It is probably too late for most cutbacks on the perennials. I have hacked down tons of tall asters, pinched myriads of mums and even dared to snap off some autumn joy sedum by one-third this year. And I did battle with a giant forsythia.

This weekend, however, I resumed two things--spending time indoors as much as possible and worrying whether everything in my outdoor world is adequately watered. I am not at all sure that I am ready for this kind of heat (or insane sprinkling).

On this past Tuesday, just before summer broke, we had a perfectly cool and sunny day. I was lucky enough to have the time to drive with the husband to our beautiful Lake Michigan, viewing the "great flatness" from Grand Haven State Park. We breathed in the cool lake air, let the sand scrub our sandaled toes and waited for the (not-so-spectacular) sunset.

On the way home a hot fudge sundae from Mickey D's satisfied at $1.29--no longer on the dollar menu, but still a good treat.

Summertime. Is your living easy?