The Joys of Early Summer

Now that summer is officially here, growing has begun in earnest. Most of the spring flowers have gone by, but there is plenty to take their place. The Japanese tree lilac in my yard is still putting out fragrant blooms, whose scent wafts into the window of my office. Heaven! Milkweed has come into bloom and the bees are loving it. I search daily for Monarch caterpillars, who feed on the leaves of milkweed. If you've got it in your yard, please leave it for the Monarch butterflies, as much of it has been destroyed by chemical weed control.

Peaches are starting to ripen on the tree. This is the second season for my Reliance peach tree, and it is just loaded with fruit. I've revamped my 4' X 4' veggie box, so that it has deeper soil and is in more sunlight this year. Mesclun mix is finishing up in the porch windowboxes, and peppers and eggplants are flourishing in their porch pots. Blueberries are setting up nicely.

Papaver atlanticum continues to bloom with it's soft orange semi double blooms. If you've got this beauty in your yard, you know you'll never be without it. The first Echinaceas are starting to bloom, signaling true summer in progress.

Chores this time of year are weeding, mowing, weed whacking, weeding, pruning of early blooming shrubs, weeding, fertilizing, weeding and weeding. Oh, and sometimes watering if the rains don't come.

I am offering a series of workshops this summer - check out the schedule below. A limited number of scholarships are available; please ask. I look forward to seeing you!