Summer might not officially start until the 20th, but here at the Red House the summer gardening season started several weeks ago.
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| A closeup of the little Coral Lily (Lilium pumilum) |
I admit, the garden has worn me down this month. I feel like I haven't played in the garden this month so much as wrestled with it.
Deer, rabbits, raccoons and voles have all been working against me this year.
I suspect a conspiracy.
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| Most of the front garden has remained intact, thankfully. |
And we won't even talk about the weeds, which have taken every opportunity that the early spring has afforded.
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| Scabiosa blooms |
But, let's focus on the positive! Even though I've been too busy to plant hardly any annuals, my garden has still had a fair amount of color thanks to some hard working perennials and bulbs.
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| Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue', which is a perennial here in zone 7b |
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| Some 'Cancun' lily blooms that have survived the deer |
Two of my favorite flowering shrubs have also been faithfully blooming - the beautiful variegated
'Santana' Butterfly Bush  |
| 'Santana' Butterfly Bush with an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
and the
Hydrangea arborescens 'Incrediball'.
To my amazement, my little vegetable garden has turned into a jungle and has started to produce peppers, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and green beans.
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| Note to self: buy bigger tomato cages next year... |
Here's hoping that the wildlife won't nibble away the rest of my garden!
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| Shoo! |
To see what is blooming in other gardens around the world, visit
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day over at
May Dreams Garden.
