The Power of Petunias

It's been hot and humid, really humid, melting my previously wind-chilled inner thermostat.  And I won't complain. I promise. Instead I marvel at the staying power of petunias.  The containers need water every day, but they thrive in this weather.  I went for lots of color and planted Wave with double-flowered.  I consistently trimmed them soon after potting them so they'd grow bushy.  And they look great. Please don't notice the weeds...I'll get to them when the dew points drop.

Gomphrena is a Gem

Gnome Purple Gomphrena was one of the few choices left at the garden center when I got back from the UK in mid June. It didn't look at that exciting at the time.  Now that it's been in my garden a month, it's proven itself to be a great flower. The compact plants are bushy and full of flowers.  The color is a tasteful almost-neon, magenta-like purple. I've got it paired with alyssum as a border, and the two textures contrast nicely. 

Disappointments?

Gardening has its up and downs as does life in general.  The above photo of lettage (lettuce plus cabbage) is growing beautifully, so that's not so bad. However, my favorite part of the cabbage is that crispy heart.  I just wasn't thinking when I ordered these seeds, excited to try something new.  They are an excellent choice for cabbage rolls or other recipes that need a big green leaf. In other disappointments, slugs have attacked one garden bed rather viciously. It happened so quickly.  It's starting to recover, but, alas, I wish I had paid closer attention.  My biggest down is that I finally got some progress growing Asclepias or the milkweed family. The county sprayed the roadside, and my cosmos and milkweed are wilting. I'm growing them in a rustic raised bed behind the mailbox, which I thought would be safe.  Pretty flowers blooming might be another clue not to spray.  I watered them down after I found out, so I'm hoping for a recovery.  Even though I melt like a snowman when the temperature and humidity rise, I am NOT going to complain about the weather.  The tomatoes love it.  The peppers love it. The view from my window-- an emerald forest of trees edged with brilliant day lilies-- is gorgeous, especially since it's not snowing.

Showy Lady Slipper

On Monday I walked the Lake Wobegon Trail between Avon and Albany to see the Showy Lady Slipper. This has been on my bucket list since I learned it was the state flower in grade school.  They are beautiful.  My husband wondered why such an elusive flower was the state flower. It's a good question, and I have no idea why.  

P.S. You may notice a gap in posts--I was traveling in the UK.  I hope to post some garden photos soon. They have a longer growing season and my husband is an Anglophile...it's tempting. 

A Fairy Garden

I swore I'd never fall for gardening trends, but I fell for fairy gardens.  There are so many cute and clever ones out there that I get sucked into the internet vortex and lose time.  This is my version with a sedum and veronica. The moss and violet are from the yard. I bought the characters at a local garden center.  The "house" is a mug I made years ago with my daughter at a paint-your-own establishment in our small town.  It was too heavy once I filled it with water, so it got pushed to the back of the cupboard until I re-purposed it here. I can't claim to be a great crafter or artist, but I like this small touch in my garden. 

Rain and Lilacs

My favorite time of year might be when the lilacs are blooming and the mosquitoes aren't biting.  Do you see that white blob next to the blue pickup in the background?  That's my rain barrel, which is collecting fresh water as I type (perfect day to blog!). I tightly cover the openings because that lovely water could be a source for breeding mosquitoes. Well, the water's lovely now.  It gets murky if I don't use it and the days get warm.  No matter how funky it gets, the plants love it. 

Three Wild Violets

"Three wild violets" sounds like a good title for romantic fiction, but in reality it's the three Violas I have growing in my yard. The one above is the common violet, which many people will recognize in their lawns.

This is downy yellow violet.

And I suspect this is dog violet. I like this online source about Minnesota wild flowers:  https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/ 

P. S. This is a busy time of year for gardeners (and mothers of students!). I'll still post, but less frequently until the end of June.