The Beauty of June Continues

I'm so excited with how beautiful our gardens are this year that I couldn't wait to give you guys an update!

I don't know if it's because we're paying more attention or if it's because we've been working so hard on them this year, but everything is saying, "Thank you!" in a big way.

I mean, check out this Peony, would you!
According to The Plant Expert (and if I picked the right one in the list) this beauty is called Mother's Choice and was the winner of the American Peony Society Gold Medal in 1993!  Why am I not surprised?!

If you're looking to grow peonies, they're pretty easy once they get their feet down.  I do virtually nothing to these and they keep coming back every year.  Just a little weeding around their base.  I've heard that some will cut them back after they bloom, but I never have.  In the fall I will take away the dead from the year before, but only if it's not connected anymore.  I don't ever clip anything off.  I've heard that the leaves and stalk from tulips actually feed the bulbs, so maybe that's true for the peonies as well.  Whatever I'm doing (or not doing) they seem to like it.  There are a few things suggested by the Plant Expert to help you out if you'd like to take the extra mile.  Also, if you're planting them for the first time, or moving them, tho pretty hardy, they can be temperamental, so definitely check out that sight on the how too's for best results.

And our roses have started blooming.  I'm not certain enough about the names to list them, yet, but that's some homework I'm going to do.  Always learning!

For all my roses, I can't say I do much to keep them looking great.  They pretty much take care of themselves.  I try and cut back the dead from the previous year but only after the buds of the new growth start to form as some of those dead looking stalks have surprised me with growth, even blooms before.  So around this time, right when they're about to bloom, I cut the dead off (about three inches above the green) to make way.  A little weeding at the base, but leaving some leaves or something to cover it's feet is always good to keep the moister after it rains. 

If I move any though I take great care to make sure everything is just so for them when they get to their new home.  First thing I make sure of is making the new hole good and deep and big.  Then I throw in fertilizer and horse manure (magic ingredient to any rose transplant).  Then when I take the rose from it's original home, I do my best to make it like it never left.  In other words, I take as much original dirt as I can.  Then I place it so gently in it's new home and give it lots of water.  I kind of think of it like moving a sleeping baby.  As long as they don't realize their being moved, they'll stay sleeping.  And when they wake up the hope is, they won't be cranky, but they'll love their new environment.  

And the Spirea have taken off this year and are more beautiful than they've ever been.  Maybe it's because all the weeds have been yanked out from their centers for once!

Spirea are hardy and reseed like crazy.  This one came up on it's own one year!  Eric takes to them with the hedge trimmer whenever he feels like it and they just keep on truckin.  They're a great little shrub for anyone that doesn't have the time to really trim on the regular though because they don't grow like crazy or shoot runners out.  They're pretty tame (besides sending volunteers out every once in a while) and just stay in their little spot and look pretty.  They do like full sun as well, and the butterflies, honey bees and bumble bees just love them.

Narrowleaf Evening Primrose is so cheery!

These can be easily mistaken for a flock if you're not careful in the early spring before they bloom.  But they are much shorter and their leaves are a bit deeper green.  You'll also start to see the fuzzy red bloom so watch for those so not to pull them out, because they are such an eye catcher.

Sweet Summer Love Clematis is very happy this year. 

They like full sun and something to climb. This clematis has even outgrown it's little trellis but I keep putting the shooters down through the trellis again to make it fuller and it seems to be working beautifully. 

And our Lambs Ear is right below that because they like to have something by their feet just like the roses, and is blooming too. I don't think we've ever seen this bloom before.  These perennials can get out of hand if you let them.  They need a little tough love every once in a while.  My rule, if they're out of bounds they get yanked.  It take a couple of years for them to get to that point, but they always do.
Whatever is going on this year, it's all good!

After our hard work, we took a walk on the backtracks behind our house and a little on the edge of the freshly cut farm behind that.  It was a beautiful day.

Till next time!  Thanks for stopping by!