KNEE DEEP IN JUNE

"Tell you what I like the best --

'Long about knee-deep in June,

'Bout the time strawberries melts

On the vine, -- some afternoon

Like to jes' git out and rest,

And not work at nothin' else!"

- James Witcomb Riley, Knee Deep in June

A June fragrance I love - my 'little gem ' magnolia blossoms.



Ah June you are as capricious as April. Unusually hot summer temperatures with little rain kept me on my toes as I had to keep my new transplants watered.


I had to rush to pick the strawberries before the birds got to them. They were juicy and sweet as usual.


I started planting my veggie garden in May -tomatoes, green peppers, squash, okra, basil, and rosemary.


A June surprise - my 7 year old yucca bloomed for the first time !













June was full of surprises both in the garden and life. The good news is that my younger sister, son and daughter all plan to re-locate here to North Carolina this year . I will definitely need a larger dining room table !

MAY the Gardening Season Begin

"May and June. Soft syllables, gentle names for the two best months in the garden year: cool, misty mornings gently burned away with a warming spring sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights. The discussion of philosophy is over; it's time for work to begin."
- Peter Loewer


This May was lovely with temperatures wildly swinging from one extreme to the other -hot, cold, in between . April was dry and May was rainy . It is a busy time in the garden as any planting should be done before the really hot days of summer begin in June.


I've had no luck in growing rhododendrons because most of them can't endure our Southern heat but I've discovered the Southgate series and one developed by Southern Living named 'Grace ' that I ordered and planted.







Another rhododendron I coveted, the largest , which can reach 16 ' is 'Rosebay ' a native which I ordered from a nursery in Asheville. I will be paying special attention to keeping them watered this season.


Last Fall the owner of my former home in Chicago sent me a 'Lorelei ' iris from my garden. It's a dwarf of a century old antique variety. I was thrilled to see it bloom for the first time in my new Carolina garden.




May is indeed the beginning in earnest of the gardening season. As a May Day girl it is always a month when I look forward to being another year older and wiser.