June in Bloom

The Beauty Bush was still blooming when we got back from Greece, its beautiful perfume wafting into our windows. Allergies be damned. Bees a buzzing. The clematis are also blooming, and the Rodgersia. While on holiday in Greece I missed seeing the peonies and poppies bloom, so asked Alex to send me a photo. Unfortunately there were some plant casualties while I was away: it looks like the native Honeysuckle and Japanese anemone I planted in May haven't survived. And the Lady's Mantle seems to have disappeared from its place between the ferns and Rodgersia. Ditto the Jack in the Pulpit by the Wild Ginger.

I've been busy in the garden for a few hours a day this past week, doing some serious 'editing' and transplanting. Pots this year: roses on the deck; mandevilla by the bench; herbs by the back door; salvia by the clematis; ferns by the red chair. Annuals in the front: dahlia by the peonies; begonia by the hosta; vinca next the the daphne; upright pentas in front of the salvia. More Beebalm and salvia (orange!) in the pollinator garden.

 

Some fascinating sights over the past few days. A Darwin Wasp with a 6 inch tail came up from under the wild garlic. It shone golden in the sun as it crept up to the top of a blood root leaf, and its tail kept coming.... and coming.  The tail is used to bore into the ground and the nests of other insects. Fascinating. 

I had emptied some dirt from pots into a garbage can at the end of last season, and lo and behold... a fern was  hiding there when I lifted the garbage can lid! Unfortunately when I tried to transfer the plant, it was so tenacious it wouldn't let go of the bottom of the can. So I planted the rootball back in the garden. That's one determined plant!