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Ilona's Garden Journal




June

June Garden Report

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More Of  What’s Happening In My Garden

Proof that there is hope for the Sweetgum tree

I learned that I can’t judge a winter’s toll until June, and even then it remains to be seen what a tough summer may inflict on the garden in general and shrubs and trees in particular.

Here is what I have observed about my Central Ohio garden so far.

> I thought two of the Sweet Gum trees were goners when I checked them last month. I was ready to mourn them and have my husband get out his chainsaw. However, it appears that they had only been grievously delayed by the winter blasts of this past spring. I was so happy to see small tufts of new leaves indicating they may not have been doomed after all.

A bit messy, but I like it

Many of the lavender shrubs sprouted from the base. Severely cut back and in need of an infusion of new plants to fill it, it has spelled renovation for the feature. Plans had been made to just tear out everything and do something else to line the walk. Right now I am in the process of cutting back both dead lavender and half dead rue to the ground- even though it is a little late in the season. I only have so much energy and physical resources to cover a multitude of tasks around here.

> Both the thyme and the sage had to be pruned to stubs, as well, although some of the thyme was altogether lost, a tiny bit survived. such things make me happy all out of proportion to what they are.

> I allowed the mugo pines to go unpruned this year, and I am wondering whether to just trim the new growth? I would permanently head back those branches if I cut them off at this point.

> The paths of the raised vegetable garden beds are being covered with cardboard, and look messy. However a few more cut up boxes and I might cover them with mulch. I am thinking of cypress, although that is awful for bare feet.

> The spring is dry this year, but I noticed some of my seedlings sprouting. The hoses need to get in place already.

> Tomato plants look miserable here.

> The new rose I put in last year looks healthy; I’ll have to look up the name- it went through this winter without protection.

>> Even though I love the rose that I think is a Scotch rose or R. spinosissima (AKA Pimpinellifolia), due to its apple fragrance all summer, it savagely tore at me through my leather gloves and long sleeved shirt as I removed its dead and overgrown canes. I had neglected that side of the house and poison ivy had taken hold. So it was slow work, but I am two thirds through with a very onerous job.

I am the designated poison ivy remover around the place.

Bowl of Beauty Peony

 More Observations

My Ash trees are completely dead.
-The Emerald Ash Borer got them, this time there is no doubt.
Not sure what happened to the ornamental grasses, but the Miscanthus is barely sprouting around one edge (on all the plants).  Wondering if they are marginally hardy here, or whether the heavy snows created wetness and rot???
Dog ticks were still pretty bad despite the cold winter.
A deer was observed in my front yard. Rabbits have made themselves at home here. I really need a dog.

The Days Have Been Glorious

Sorry, can’t remember the name of this one

German iris bloomed gorgeously.

Clematis delight me every year, including this one.
Perfectly lovely weather, so that even the nagging concern about rain is pushed to the back of my mind.
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© 2014 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.

Where Should I Plant This Rose?

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I know many of you have done this, too, so I don’t feel quite so guilty. So many times I know better, but I can’t resist nature, not of plants or my own at times.

We are past the season of planting roses… the heat of summer is coming, but a beautiful rose plant was on sale. Forget the fact that you have no real place prepared for it, or even a vague idea of where to put it, it was a beautiful fragrant rose, and it says that it is hardy to zone 4.

Of course, that guarantees nothing, but the idea that this lovely thing just might survive the winters, just might perfume the garden in years to come, is all but too much to resist. So I didn’t resist. I bought it, and now it sits with the other spontaneous temptations that I gave into this week. I just hope I don’t do penance trying to keep these things alive if the weather turns dry this year.

And the roses are such a pretty shade of pinky apricot… and they smell so heavenly.

 

Apricot Drift

A bit worse for wear due to not being yet planted, etc.

It promises to look like this!

How do we plant roses at this time? Be sure to align the plant at the same depth of soil as it grew in the pot. Like other shrubs, I like to add some amendments to the soil: some compost, peat if the clay is very dense.

Water it in well with initially “mudding it”, and thereafter just making sure the plant doesn’t dry out before the roots are established. Good drainage is needed, so don’t keep mudding it.

Don’t fertilize, unless you use something mild like transplant fertilizer and don’t fertilize after midsummer date in July. Give the rose bush time to get ready for winter. It needs to “harden up” which it won’t do if lushly growing from lots of extra fertilizing.

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Visit Ilona’s Garden Journal on facebook: Click here
© 2013 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.

June Flowers

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A sampling of some flowers that bloom in June, here in my Central Ohio garden.

I had plenty of deep blue larkspur and mammoth-sized dill that came up in the vegetable garden.

The heat caused most things to go by all too quickly, and we have now entered a seasonal lull in which the container plantings fill in with their annuals.

The heavy storm last night blew over the top heavy Annabelle hydrangeas. I was surprised to see them splayed most awkwardly- this type usually has sturdy legs.

before the storm

Winding up the Month of June

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The GGW contest for rose photos has announced the winners, and they are truly beautiful shots of a flower that is so beloved that there are millions of photographs taken of it, in all its glory and variation. Sample a few.

No, I didn’t win anything… but I gained more than enough from the inspiration provided. Thanks to Debra Lee Baldwin for all her hard work.

As June ends so does the rose season. It is time for me to fertilize the hardworking plants. There were more disease problems, but less Japanese beetles (so far!).

Harvest time has started, and I cut the broccoli heads. The first thing I made was a chicken broccoli bake- I’ll include the recipe of sorts at the end of this post. I hoed the vegetable garden and we weeded both the back garden and the garage one- which was supposed to turn into a cutting garden, but I needed extra space for the tomato and pepper plants. Now I am ready to put in more plantings. I have a decorative squash and I believe there is time to plant, yet. Also, I think I will put in some beans, although it has been many a year since I grew them. This year just seems good for beans, since it is so hot and all.

The Shirley poppies have put on a lovely show, and the heat is now making them look a little ragged, they will soon be pulled out. The star of this years garden is the Annabelle hydrangea. The blooms are as obscenely large and voluptuous as they can possibly be. The Mae West of the garden.

I’ve been busy writing articles for my garden website, which is something that I’ve had on the back burner for some time. I hope I have structured the site right for all the individual plants I want to write about.

So that, and mowing, is the summary of the month. What is new in your garden? Or what do you have planned for July?

chicken broccoli bake

6-7 pieces cooked chicken breast (I used mesquite-flavor frozen ones)
one family size can Cream of chicken soup
a cup of sour cream
shredded Asiago cheese, about a 1/3 cup
Parmesan cheese
slices of cheddar
Panko bread crumbs
two heads of broccoli cut in stems and steamed

Line a roasting pan with the broccoli; make sauce of chicken soup, sour cream, and Asiago cheese. Spoon half over broccoli; layer slices of cheddar and then layer cut pieces of chicken breast, top with more sauce, sprinkle generously with Parmesan; Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper Pour Panko over top and bake at 350 degrees til all is baked through.

If you want this to be heart healthy you need to make some substitutions. It tastes good, but salt and dairy create a very rich dish. For more flavor I would have added lemon juice, if I had it on hand at the time. Mix it into the sauce.

Tags: roses in June, chicken broccoli bake

Roses in June

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Thank you, whoever ordered A Year of Rosesroses! It reminded me to take time soon to visit Whetstone Park of Roses, soon. Last year I went at a time when the heirloom roses were over and I would really like some pictures of them. I grow a few here, but I have them scattered about and would rather create more of a feature of them. Each year I try to grow them from cuttings like my mother did so successfully, but haven’t yet gotten the knack.

I’m going to try to use the greenhouse for that this year. I am especially longing for Blanc Double de Coubert Rose, since I put it next to a Spruce tree which now threatens to engulf it, and it is further insulted by the farmers herbicide sprays. But today, during a morning walk, it’s scent wafted out far to the road where I was taking a morning constitutional… and I thought again of how much I would like more of this old fashioned rose.

I wanted to get pictures of the parks collection because I am very interested in the heirloom varieties and want to write an article on them. I once had some of the Bourbon roses, but they all met their demise in the colder winters. When the books say “hardy” it is all very relative!

Be sure to see Gardens in Ohio and A Botanical Wedding.

Memories of June

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A few pictures before I go on a short July Fourth hiatus.

My overgrown pond area. I let feverfew bloom unhindered and the iris made it through the winter and bloomed beautifully- it surprised me. The waterlilies need division, you can’t really see the water.

These pictures show my present attraction to purple cream and gold combinations. The purple leaf tree is Prairie fire crabapple with the Coreopsis verticillata coming into bloom; that is ‘Goldflame‘ spirea in the foreground.

I tried Salpiglossis in the containers, and Schizanthus, which presently isn’t doing so well due to overwet conditions from the rains. They were happier when the pots got to dry out a little. “Grandma Garden” hues in these pots. Everything bright and cheerful as a colorful patched quilt.