June 2007

Happy June! The kids will be out of school soon and summer is upon us. With Spring coming so late it seems like all of the garden chores are taking a long time. Each spring I love to watch and see what is doing well and thriving. This year I seem to have lost a few old favorites, probably due to the funny warm and long winter we had, but that just gives me a chance to visit my local garden centers and choose something new! The irises are in bloom and I am anxious to find some of the new reblooming varieties that are now available.

The daylilies are getting ready to provide their spectacular show. Did you know that if you want to move daylilies you can do it now or even when they are in bloom! They can be moved or divided at any time unlike most other perennials.

If you are looking to fill some of those empty spaces and want something that is long blooming try Coreopsis - most varieties bloom all summer. Also Lamium maculatum - the dead nettles (don't pay attention to the common name) which are dark pink, light pink and white will bloom all season and have very nice foliage as well!

June is the month for roses. If you are looking for a rose addition to your garden you might want to search out one of the many varieties that will bloom all season. Plant breeders have been developing more and more roses that are disease resistant ! So maybe this is the year to give roses a chance ! Check out the Carefree Roses - they are easy to maintain, there is no need to prune, they are long blooming and disease resistant! What more could you ask for?

If you have been reading any of the publications by various nature groups you will have been hearing about the decline in the populations of bees and birds in some areas of our country. There are so many toxic chemicals on the market, that one must pause and think of how these are affecting our environment. If you take a look in your local garden centers, home stores and the like you will notice that there are more and more garden products that are all natural and environmentally friendly.(e.g., fertilizers, insect control, etc.) Many of these work as well as the toxic ones. Try some of these.... If every household stopped using just one toxic substance it would start to make a huge difference. And it would benefit us all!

Take advantage of some of the garden tours that will be happening around the state in June. Call a friend and ask if you can take a look at their garden! Step back and take a look at your own garden and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!