JUNE - THE FAIREST DAUGHTER OF THE YEAR

"Mine is the Month of Roses; yes, and mine

The Month of Marriages! All pleasant sights

And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,

The foliage of the valleys and the heights.

Mine are the longest days, the loveliest nights;

The mower's scythe makes music to my ear;

I am the mother of all dear delights;

I am the fairest daughter of the year."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How did June get here so fast ?  She finds us adding a small addition to our little cabin in the woods.  It will be a "flex room " - a family gathering place with a pull-out sofa bed for guests.

In the garden I have watched the wildflowers sprout and grow from seeds.   In addition to fighting deer I discovered we had a nest of bunnies under the shed that had been dining on my plants.  Off to the store to get stinky stuff to spray on the plants.  I have encased all my edibles in thin black plastic netting and haven't had any casualties since.  I have to have the boundaries of our property marked by a surveyor before I can put up a much needed fence.

Thus far it has been a hot and dry June so I keep a close eye on all the new plants to make sure they have enough water.   I  added a small pond with a water hyacinth and the birds just love it .  Added several new ferns to the woodland garden and planted 'Miss Huff ' lantana, coreopsis, blackeyed susan, cone flowers, bear's britches, bee balm, and some fountain grass.

It's so pleasant to get up early and walk about the garden .  The birds singing and the cool country air are so relaxing.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realize I am back in my beloved South.  Even though I lived in Chicago for over 4 decades my heart was always here.  

Traveled up to the Outer Banks  on the Atlantic with Lea and family and my daughter Cathy and husband Randy from Chicago  where we spent some pleasant days on the beautiful beach there.   This gave us a little break from the many months of rehab we've been doing non-stop.

Joined the local community garden where I volunteered to weed for several hours once a week.  In return I am rewarded with some great veggies.

Soon the dust will settle and the rehab will end and maybe then I can concentrate on more important things - like gardening.

MAY DAY ! MAY DAY !

A mighty cold winter and a fickle Spring - back and forth with the hot and cold, rain and no rain.  Many homies tell me that this was the coldest and longest winter they could remember.

I've been busy with remodelling our small cedar house - adding a new half bath , a deck, new kitchen and an additional "gathering room " that will also be a guest room for visiting family members.  I love our small, cozy home and with all the improvements it is even more comfortable.  Outside I plan to install a fence around the perimeter so that I can garden without worrying about deer . I don't like fencing in a woodland garden but I will make it as invisible as possible with some lovely vines and other plantings.

In the garden I have added  mahonia, lorepetalum, dwarf butterfly bush, scarlet sage, Japanese iris, mugho pine, soft leaf yucca, forget-me-nots, nandina and astile.  In the frontage near the busy road I have eradicated the grass, formed beds, added horse manure and compost and planted wildflower seeds.  Behind them I am forming a row of pink muhly grass for Fall color.



As I work in the garden in the cool of the morning I encounter many passersby who comment on my progress or strike up a conversation about gardening.   Folks here are so friendly and always say hello when they pass, just one more thing I love about the South. I also love this small town feeling and its unique character - it's actually a melting pot of people from just about everywhere . It's also a foodie's town with lots of interesting places- at least 200 to dine.

I miss my family and friends in Chicago and often think about my old homestead and garden there.  The nice thing though is that my daughter there will fly down with her hubby in June and we'll all go to the lovely Outer Banks on the Atlantic for vacation.

My daughter took me to a Greek restaurant named Kipo's for my birthday and I asked the waiter what that meant.  We were surprised by his answer : Garden.  Lovely, because we were actually dining outside in a beautiful garden.

I also miss my loyal Chicago garden clients.  The garden design business in this small town is quite different I've found but I am giving it serious study before passing judgment.   I am enjoying visiting various garden centers and nurseries to check out their inventory.

But here in the merry month of May I find myself quite content with my new home and garden and the adventures that await me.