Garden Journal :: June 2006

June 1st

:: the peonies I transplanted 2-3 years ago finally put on a nice show, but only for a week this year. More problems with black spot.

:: siberian iris with hosta Chinese Sunrise, sedum and sweet woodruff.

June 6th

Burpee "Jaguar" Marigolds germinate.

Harvesting/thinning lettuce about every other day.

:: made pyrethrum daisy tea and sprayed the roses to see if it would combat the thrips.

June 8th

Split and move hostas from sun to shade, and plant out six begonias to flank either side of the forsythia cave. Move sad looking carex grass behind.

Noticing powdery mildew under Lemon Balm.

:: Patrick wanted this wisteria we saw at Reedurban, and I always wanted it by the deck steps, so it could grow over a pergola and shade the deck. Only problem is now we have to build the pergola!

June 12th

Cherries! Patrick picks some and makes a pie for Babka's birthday. He also sprays all fruit trees and berry bushes with Immunox to control brown rot.

A strange bright orange scab is rabidly eating the blackberrie leaves. Hopefully the Immunox will help slow it down.

Roses do look better after the dose of pyrethrum tea, so I respray for thrips and aphids.

:: Bouncing Bet is unusually fuschia in the morning light.

Transplant zucchini I had forgotten I had planted here and there... they don't look too good. They didn't have root balls and went into total shock.

Transplant extra larkspurs to the mound.

Plant out red-white verbenas in front of kitchen garden larkspur. Might have red, white and blue for the 4th of July.

Juneteenth

Trim front forsythia for Babka's birthday; huge job and a new tradition. Patrick picks a bouquet and serves cherry pie to celebrate.

Purchase and plant three geraniums.

Weed varigated Bishop's weed along west side of garage. It is finally taking. Noticed honeysuckle on corner is covered with aphids and powdery mildew.

June 14th

:: Patrick harvests more cherries and hangs more pie pans.

Noticed transplanted Burpee "Butterstick" zuchini will survive and only lose first leaves. These are great plants from year old seeds. Water again liberally.

Harvest and eat first batch of snow peas.

No rain for awhile. May have to dig out the "dripulators."

The opal basil has prematurely flowered, so I pinch them off.

:: the herb garden is looking rather wild.

:: a Grahm Thomas Heritage Rose looking better than it has in years, thanks to the pyrethrum daisy tea controlling the thrips.

June 21 - Rain!

:: a happy discovery: I planted sedum because the ivy wasn't spreading. The sedum quickly established itself. But now, after four years, the ivy is taking over the sedum, which is fine by me.

Continue to harvest a bumper crop of lettuce.

June 24

The birds got every last cherry...

The blackberry patch was rinsed of orange rust and looks good for now.

Weeding and harvesting lettuce like mad after the rains.

:: the yard is transitioning from blues and pinks to yellows and oranges.

June 25

Dig out lemon balm and throw away to control powdery mildew.

June 26

The ants have cleaned the aphids off the holly hocks. However, all the nasty little grey weevils get sprayed with pyrethrum tea!

:: pyrethrum and lamb's ear volunteer together in the kitchen garden.