Late June in my Garden

June is a big month for blooms in the flower garden. Above you can see some fine blossoms on a couple of new coneflowers (Echinacea) I planted out front after the big laurel bushes were removed.

 Remember my experiment to overwinter the two hibiscus plants? I cut them way back and they even had the odd flower while in their winter exile in the downstairs guest room. My plan is to have a red white and blue show on the front porch for July 4th. The white comes from a white petunia I planted in a tub a week or so back (but forgot to photograph for you) that sits against the wall of the porch. And at the bottom of the front steps I have a row of blue ageratum - well, until I can keep the rabbit from making them the main course each time they come by.

These are backed up by a volunteer white coneflower and some blue salvia.

 Out in the back garden some blue stokesia (stokes aster) are having their 15 minutes of fame along with some white yarrow.

On the deck there is the usual angst about what to do with the cherry tomato plant which has already outgrown the  8' high tomato cage and has hit the underside of the rain gutter. With the arrival of the summer sudden storm season I have already applied the tie down and chair brace system.

 Further round by the rear patio the volunteer garden is doing well with a few tomato plants and lots of dill. I planted a bunch of basil seedlings which were overgrown and lanky in the pot when I got them too late at the garden center. This season I tried to be quite ruthless in pulling out the volunteer tomato seedlings and there are now just four. I'll be interested to see how this experiment works out - as well as seeing just what type of tomato plants I get this year.

On the side garden I have this archway which has one very determined clematis plant growing on it. This is the highest it has ever grown but the result is the flowers are all on the top side and I can't even see them.

 Below the deck the astilbe are in bloom. For protection from that darn rabbit I planted one tomato plant in behind and you can see how well it is growing.

Speaking of that rabbit...to be truthful there are at least three although it has been a few weeks since I last saw even one of them. But look carefully and you can see it is still here. When planted originally this garden plot looked beautiful with yellow heliopsis, blue Russian sage and a few white coneflowers. Over the years the rabbits have taken out most all of the heliopsis (if you click on the photo I think there might be one or two remaining) and the sage has been overwhelmed but the echinacea/coneflowers really liked the spot and have been joined by some pink cousins. The yellow finches really love this garden. To the right are blue New England asters which have their bloom time in mid Fall.

The hummingbird is an avid visitor - look carefully to the right side of the feeder.

 A couple of mornings this week I was out before 7am taking a walk and saw this pair of fawns. This photo taken right here after they trailed their mother across my back garden. Oh, aren't they lovely I thought - but within an hour I found that the deer had the same thought about the petunia plants in pots on the driveway. The difference is that I did not eat the deer whereas they, yes, they ate my petunias.

The bird family that had taken up the lease on the birdhouse towards the rear have raised their family and left the premises. No more watching the constant feeding at the birdhouse while I sat at the dinner table each night.

And to close out here is a shot around dusk this evening. See how that tomato is peeking above the handrail of the deck? It is a new variety and I am hoping it will do well right there in the garden bed as I am getting weary about having to expend so much effort to tie down the plants in pots on the deck.

Hope you enjoyed the stroll around my garden!