Winding up the Month of June

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