Happy First Day of Summer!

It's never to late to plant. I found these on clearance at a pop-up shop in a parking lot, but the workers have paid attention to them and they will thrive once I get them planted. Below is one of the native plant areas, looking healthy after our recent rain. It may be the first day of summer, but we may not reach 70 degrees F today. I'm okay with that. I prefer the cooler temps to hot and humid weather. 

See that beetle trying to hide? I wasn't sure if it was a European chafer or  a Japanese beetle, but either way, I'll be on the look out for more of them before they damage my gardens. Hopefully, the bumper crop of birds and squirrels will eat the beetles and leave my strawberries alone (wishful thinking). 

Strawberries and Rain

Before yesterday's rain, I picked strawberries. These measure about an inch and a half. Delicious!

I find myself wanting to pick berries that aren't completely ripe, worried that critters will get them before me. Us. I share them...really! Patience is a virtue. After being in a drought last year, I see the effect of rain...lush growth of the plants and the many strawberries. With our new climate, I have learned not to take rain for granted.  

Ode to dandelions

Yes, keepers of meticulous (and boring) lawns hate these plants. Yet they are useful and lovely. The bees love these early bloomers. We need the bees to pollinate our food. While we don't technically "need" them, rabbits eat the stem. I watched a baby bunny go to a patch, chomp off a flower stem, nibble the whole thing, letting the seeds drop to the ground. But wait!  Birds (house finches, I think) descended on this same patch, eating the seeds. People can eat the leaves in salad (as long as they aren't covered in chemicals), and we can roast the root to make tea. The long root helps aerate the soil and can help stop erosion. But the best use by far is for me, sitting outside, watching all the wildlife enjoy themselves. 

Native Cranberrybush Viburnum

I bought five native Cranberrybush Viburnum in 2020 with the Lawns to Legume grant. The flowers are abundant this year, and the growth is 18 inches in places. Thank you, rain!

I think the two years of drought since 2020 stressed them since they tend to need a little extra moisture than other shrubs. Of the five, two are blooming the most, and I'm not sure why. But they all look lush and healthy.

My goal is to create a living fence, and we're almost there. 

Front Native Plant Gardens Update

The smooth rose struggled for years, planted in 2020, eaten by rabbits, and stressed from two droughts. But it's looking good now.  The bees love it! Most of the front yard plants were purchased with the Lawns to Legume grant, back in 2020. I've added some plants, a combination of native and hybrids.

This native rose does spread but doesn't seem unruly. 

I love how full the front garden in becoming, perhaps due to our excellent rainfall.

This spot is overflowing its original space.

The lupine is spectacular. 

I love this plant! I don't want to cut any to bring in the house because it feels like I'm stealing from pollinators.

The first coreopsis to bloom was a gift from my mother when she removed plants from her place. (I love my garden shoes, tie-die crocs!)

I've added this coreopsis here and there in my entire yard, and it acts like a groundcover after blooming. In a year or two, I hope to have these lovely flowers blooming all over the place.