"It's beautiful the Summer month of June
When all of God's own wildflowers are in bloom
And sun shines brightly most part of the day
And butterflies o'er lush green meadows play.
Light hearted skylark songster of the wing
High o'er the quiet and lonely moorland sing
Above her nest cloaked by the tangled heath
Her charming song so exquisitely sweet.
So mellow the gentle breath of june day breeze
The birds rejoicing on the leafy trees
And dappled trout in pool bed of the stream
Bask in the sun their spotted skins agleam."
- Francis Duggan, June
June was a very busy month in the Sweet Garden-the blue bird boxes quickly filled up and the proud parents were soon busy picking up insects for their brood. The Japanese beetles once again were on the attack but not as bad as last year and so I at least had blooms on my dwarf Crape Myrtles for a change. I have sprayed them and I'm adding more nematodes this Fall to further control them in the Spring. They've spread to my fruit trees in the back garden as well.
June was very hot this year -more like July weather . The weatherman kept predicting rain everyday for a solid two weeks but it never appeared. When we finally did get some much need rain it came down in buckets !
With June comes the bloom of my favorite tree -the Southern Magolia, its sweet fragrance and spectacular blossom.
My roadside garden continues to flourish and get's fuller with time. I've added Russian Sage and re-seeded with a wildflower perennial mixture. The red yarrow, blue catmint, purple lavender, red autumn sage, white oxeye daisy, Joe Pye weed , Lantana, ornamental grasses and canna lily are now well-established and their blooms provide good , continuous color and attract the pollinators.
I couldn't find the Korean Spice viburnum that I want locally but found a nursery in Tennessee that grows it and ships it bareroot. It doesn't look happy yet but I'm patiently waiting to see if it survives. I also ordered two sumac bareroots and they have sprouted nicely.
I found a mail order source for an old-fashioned Lilac that will supposedly survive this Southern heat but will wait until Fall to order it.
Meanwhile in the fruit orchard the White fleshed peaches are growing, the grape vine is producing its first real crop and the Asian pears are heavy with their Fall-ripening fruit. This is the second year for my dwarf fig and I'm hoping it might produce fruit as well.
Now it's time to welcome July. Hoping against hope for ample rain and cooler temperatures !
