My Plants are Loving this Sultry, Soggy Summer
Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 4:25PM I think we have had over two feet of rain in June, thanks in part to tropical storm Cindy. Last year's drought is long gone, though lawns and plants are still recovering. The rain has kept temps moderate, but as soon as the sun comes out, the steamy air gives no doubt that summer is here.
The plants are loving the tropical feel.
The woodland garden looks very green and lush.
Hostas are flowering. Most of my hostas grow in pots to protect their roots from voles, which have a voracious appetite for their roots. 'Francis Williams' grows in two old urns that belonged to my grandparents, and the bees are enjoying their blooms:
I took these next images near the patio. You can see 'Francis Williams' at the bottom of the steps in the first photo. The last image with the wheelbarrow gives a peek into the vegetable garden/work area:
More June flowers around the garden:
Clockwise from top left: 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea; 'Snowflake' Hydrangea; 'Stella D'Oro' Daylily; Monarda; Gardenia; A colorful daylily passed along from a friend.
I was surprised when this lovely succulent sent up a bloom after one of our all-day storms:
Down in the arbor garden an assortment of plants grow around a birdbath, including Bromeliad in a pot, Heucerella, and Autumn Fern:
'Tropicana' Canna lily is enjoying the sultry summer:
A few more images around the garden:
Clockwise from top left: Eucomis; This wren kept chirping happily, even though his beak was full of worm; A pretty succulent; Iron rabbit guards the vegetable garden.
Down in the woodland garden, shadow and light play over the wet foliage:
Cool shades of green, white, and blue dominate this shady retreat:
Clockwise from top left: This big hosta is planted in the ground. I dug out a large hole in the middle of an ancient, buried pile of crushed rock, filled it with good soil and dared the voles to find it. So far they haven't; The Garden Lady now has a spot beside the woodland steps; A fragrant, late-blooming native azalea; Peacock Fern, which is really a kind of moss; 'Whitewater' weeping Redbud tree; Peacock Fern and Lady Fern.May you find refreshment and joy this week! Deb
Reader Comments (20)
Two feet of rain in june!?! That's just about two years worth for my region. No wonder everything in your garden looks so fabulously..non-dry. I love your iron rabbit, the photo of the wren singing with his mouth--er--beak full, the hosta foliage, the Garden Lady.
Happy Gardening!
We've had that abundant rain, too - and as a lifelong southerner, I'm loving it right along with the gardens! Everything looks just lovely, Deb! I'll be spending this (predicted) rain free day cutting grass!
Seeing your pics is refreshing Debs, lovely as always!
It is a joy to 'visit' your garden Deb, the lush green makes me feel cool even if that isn't a true interpretation of how it feels. I had to smile at your 15 inches of rain in June; in Viterbo we average just under 30 inches a YEAR and we've had hardly any rain since last autumn. Certainly the driest winter since we arrived 14 years ago. Humidity makes a big difference to plants too, here the humidity is relatively low although by no means desert-like.
Hooray for the rain! Your garden looks wonderful.
I love, love, love your woodland garden. You're giving me ideas for improving mine! I also love that you use your grandparents planters.....there's something so special about things passed down through the generations. Happy Gardening!
Beautiful!!! Does your peacock fern come back each year?
Hello everyone! It is great to hear from you all, and I appreciate your comments. Susan, yes, Peacock Fern (Selaginella) will return. In fact, it is semi-evergreen. It will grow in USDA hardiness zones 6-9. I am on the border of 7b/8a, and it is usually evergreen for me. It is deciduous in cooler parts of zone 7. I am drawn to its foliage, which is almost an iridescent blue-green.
Best wishes! Deb
I can't imagine two feet of rain. In one month!
And your garden has happily absorbed that, without flooding problems?
Hi Diana,
I am fortunate to be well above any flood plane. I actually am on a mountain of sorts, though the rise is so gradual, one hardly realizes it. The ground is certainly soggy, but we generally get about 60" ( 5 feet) of rain each year. So we just got a big chunk in one month. Last year we were way under, so it is good for the lakes to have a chance to refill. I am very grateful, especially after reading about the water conservation efforts you have to make!
I wish we could send some of our rain your way!
Deb
It looks like a stunning garden season for you! We're having a bit of a "Jekyll and Hyde" growing season, which is OK for some plants and detrimental to others. Most of the plants seem to be handling the swings between very cool, wet weather to hot, dry days to hot, wet days, and back to cool, wet days (cycle continues...). Looking out at the garden, you'd think they were happy. But I have noticed some of the trees are stressed--particularly my neighbors' young Sugar Maple, which is already showing stunning foliage color. Argh. Poor tree is having trouble adjusting to the yo-yo growing season. Lovely images from your garden, as always, Deb.
Your plants certainly do look happy! Our June has been on the cool side.
That's a LOT of rain, Deb. We've received nearly 24 inches of rain during our entire rain year-to-date but we have little reason to expect any more before our rain year ends on September 30th. I experienced a little of your sultry summer weather first-hand while attending the Garden Bloggers' Fling in the DC area. Fortunately, the steam heat was only intense for one day and the other days were relatively pleasant - we Southern Californians are used to heat but ours is usually delivered dry! However, I might be able to learn to tolerate that humidity if it brought all the lush greenery I see in your garden and that I saw while touring DC, Virginia and Maryland.
Your garden is lovely, all plants look so happy and healthy and so many beautiful flowers!
I love the lush look of your garden. I guess two feet of rain would do it! Yikes! We seem to be moving toward the time of year when my Maine garden, with its much shorter sped-up growing season, catches up with yours. I have flower scapes and well-developed buds on both hostas and daylilies, but no open flowers yet.
Enchanting
That's a lot of rain! We've had a good amount of rain in the Northeast, too, which is much appreciated after the terrible drought we had last year. Your garden looks so lush and gorgeous! Thankfully I haven't seen any voles in my current garden (knock on wood), but the bunnies and groundhogs make sure I don't grow many hostas. I actually have one in the garden with only two leaves, but it's sending out flowers that I will enjoy! I love your little succulent garden in the trough.
It's lucky that the tropical storm did no damage, and the garden is looking very damp and happy. That tropical canna leaf is so dramatic, I love it. And I love the stone rabbit, he or she looks very contented.
I'm grateful for the generous rain we've been having lately, but two feet! Now that's tropical. I'll stick with our more moderate rainfall. It's certainly doing well for your lovely garden.
My favorite photo was at the white birdhouse in the woodland garden. And the Tropicana. I want that but with the orange flower, not the red.