Lilacs and Roses

Gardening is something you learn by doing — and by making
mistakes.... Like cooking, gardening is a constant process of
experimentation, repeating the successes and
throwing out the failures.
- Carol Stocker


The bridge of my nose is sunburned and I’m peppered with mosquito bites but my lawn is mowed, three containers are planted with annuals, and most of the weeding is finished. I guess that’s a fair trade off.

In June there is such an abundance of blooms. There doesn’t seem to be any way to include all of them on my blog. Here are some favorites.

The daylilies have begun blooming.

Siloam Double Classic is my favorite today. I love the pale apricot color and the vivid yellow center that looks like it is lit from within.

Prairie Fire is a pretty red but the bright color streaks. It seems to be a common trait in the dark colors.

Clear yellow Hyperion, the old faithful standby.

Oriental lily Mona Lisa.

Here are a few of the shrub roses I didn’t include in previous posts.

Westerland

Autumn Sunset, a sport of Westerland.

Hybrid Tea Double Delight

Meideland Magic

Hybrid Tea Tiffany

On the ground wrens run through the garden like mice. This spring they are nesting in three of my birdhouses. The parents are in constant motion, frantically searching the garden to provide enough bugs to keep the growing chicks satisfied.

I found the first Japanese beetle Friday afternoon. So far there are just a few but by the first week in July there will be hundreds. I’m enjoying my roses now. When the beetles begin to destroy the blooms I will deadhead all the bushes and prevent them from blooming for the rest of the season. Sad but there is just no other way to battle these beetles.

The blackberries and strawberries are ripe. I think I’ll have a bowl of icecream with blackberries while sit on the porch and watch the last cardinal visit the feeder and the lightening bugs begin to flash one by one.