Summertime
June Flush
Season's perennials, which have spent the previous month maturing their foliage, are prompted into bloom all at once by the approach of the summer solstice.
The June flush is the most magnificent event in the garden, and it only compares to leaf season in terms of its vibrant display of color.
Roses, delphiniums, daisies, foxgloves, daylilies, phlox, bee balms, dahlias, coreopsis and coneflowers compete for the spotlight, blooming profusely, bathed in the scent of lilacs, and everything looks bright green, fresh, and young.
The daylilies already pushed up masts. There are so many of them, and so early too. I usually don't expect to see them before the Fourth of July.
The veggies are in bloom, and I think I spotted a little cucumber under the lush foliage.
A few days of cool temperatures provided the perfect time window to divide the summer and fall perennials before hot weather started at full blast.
Plants are so forgiving! After a few days of languishing, they perked up enthusiastically in their new spots and look like they've always been there.
The Scents of Summer
I am waiting for fireflies and mellow evenings dripping with the perfume of petunias and nicotianas.
Summer is all about scents.
Most of those scents come from unexpected sources: the crude smell of cut grass, the citrus aroma of the apple scented roses, the intoxicating perfume of unassuming tree blossoms, the delicious smell of ripe fruit.
Sharp notes of mint waft through the air on hot summer afternoons, mingling with peppery undertones of anise hyssop, bergamot-scented bee balms, and earthy yarrow. The lightest breeze sets them aloft, warm and strong in the overheated air.
The Oriental lilies, August hostas, and tuberoses take center stage in the late summer garden, creating a fragrant oasis whose magic is further enhanced by the sweet honeyed scent of the sugar laden late season foliage.
Tending Roses
Roses are much more easy going than given credit for: all they need is full sun, plenty of elbow room and lots of fertilizer.
Landscaping roses like the one in the picture are disease resistant, continuously blooming, and don't need dead heading.