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.