The thumbnail photo for June is Summer Samba. It's appropriate because the summer solstice is coming up later this month, and any time's a good time to dance.

almost forgot that it is the first of june - you just reminded me zuzu

wonderful rose to start the month and any time's a good time to dance.

I had a funny experience a few days ago. After getting a new skin tear right above the first one, which had finally healed after 4 months, on my left shin and then nearly bleeding to death (not really ) when a big thorn punctured the artery on my right shin, I bit the bullet and finally unwrapped the overalls I had bought when the first skin tear happened. I put them on and scared all of my cats to the point of hysteria! They all fled in terror from the strange little man in their garden.

Oh, Zuzu...so sorry. That is terrible. Hope you are healing quickly.

I can picture the cats! Mine is scared when I wear shoes

Shoes? So he knows you by your feet?

apparently! Never thought about it that way. He is smart...he knows we are shod when he goes to the vet!

I was talking to mine the whole time they were running away and it failed to reassure them, so they clearly don't know my voice. No wonder they never listen to me. It's more than a language problem.

I received three bare-root roses in the mail today -- The Poet's Wife, Summer Nights, and a grafted replacement for my own-root Caribbean Breeze, which has either disappeared or may as well have disappeared because I can't see it. I'm eager to plant them, but the denim protecting my legs has made my arms feel terribly vulnerable, so I'm going to put on my impenetrable Burberry trench coat before I start. That means I'll be planting them late in the evening. It's far too hot to go out in overalls and a trench coat in the afternoon.

Hope you heal quickly, zuzu.

On a side note, I am amazed by how quickly my Brecks roses have leafed out! They are some beautiful little bushes.

Zuzu, I am shocked that mine came several days before yours. I ordered Summer Nights, Caribbean Breeze, and Hypnotized!. All look good. I have not planted mine yet...maybe this evening.
I discovered that some of my husband's hunting clothing makes really good gardening wear. He has some that is lightweight, breathable, and very resistant to tears. Even basic hunters have closets full of specialty hunting clothing; I have yet to find a store that specializes in good clothing for gardeners. Yesterday I pulled weeds in the rain while wearing a camouflage rain suit.

Zuzu, that image of the fleeing cats is hysterical! Glad you're protecting yourself, those slow healing injuries are worrisome.

I started using alfalfa pellets last year around the roses, irises, clematis and some other blooming perennials. I felt like I was seeing positive response from everything, but was also giving everything better care in general so I couldn't be sure how much the alfalfa was helping. This year one plant in particular has convinced me of the benefit of alfalfa- Sally Holmes. I've had that rose for about 10 years (grafted onto Dr. Huey root stock), and it had never performed well. It has been moved a time or two, but has been in its current spot for at least 6 years. This year it is showing more vigor than ever before, still not a big plant like she normally grows into in other areas, but has multiple canes and several blooms and buds.

Neal ...

I have to be very, very careful about what organics I use up here because to some of the critters up here it seems to be an invitation to a buffet put out especially for them. Alfalfa in any form seems to be a favorite treat to many and may feed the roses well, but the plants are almost destroyed by the critters going after their yummies, so I have given up on using it.

Skunks are partial to anything that smells like bananas.

Bears love anything that smells like fish or blood.

The list goes on.

I am almost afraid to try something new .. Even compost tea has had something else digging in the garden. I've had to cage my compost pile and the raccoons tore down my compost bin after I buried my kitchen waste. So much for that idea. I finally gave up on saving kitchen waste and now just throw that over the cliff and let the critters tear up the blackberries that are a fire hazard. (It is kind of funny seeing an old cabbage leaf hanging off of a blackberry bush ... always gone by morning )

I'd love to be able to use alfalfa, but sometimes the wildlife around us just doesn't play along with that plan ...

I did finally get the feral cats from pooping in the beds by sprinkling coffee grounds over the top of the mulch around the mulch around the roses. I don't think there is anything more disgusting than reaching under a rose to weed than grabbing a handful of fresh cat cat poo. YUK !! At least I have found a way to stop that one ... and I like cats !

I finally got a bloom, or two, or twenty... My Austrian Copper is faithful, like always. Ever since I planted it, it's the first one to bloom for me. I love this rose.. too bad it's just so leggy & a 1 time bloomer. I will be trimming it hard this year. I'm redoing the area where it lives.. I lost my gargantuan lilac due to last year's late late late snow (got like 2' of snow on Mother's Day 2015 and it crushed my lilac to the point of no return), so I had it dug up & planted other things in that spot, which is taking off because it's now a sunny spot rather than almost full shade. Winter Magic is also getting ready to open up, I have about 12 irises blooming... spring's finally hit my yard. We've been getting a LOT of rain this year, it's wonderful! But that's why you can see Black Spot on AC.. it's such a blackspot magnet. Oh well. At least I have something blooming!



Sheba Queen iris



I *think* this is Spice Lord.. name sounds uber familiar, but in the extreme early morning sun, looks really faded.



Winter Magic



My Charles de Mills will be blooming next week.. I can't wait for that badboy to erupt. I love that rose.. I hate his prickles but his blooms are to die for. Yes yes yes, I know he's supposed to be thornless, but what Roses Unlimited sent me like 7 years ago says CdM and that's what I go by. Actually, I have buds everywhere in the front yard. I'm slowly but surely working my way towards the back yard.. that's gonna be a bugger to tackle after I completely let it go wild last year due to health (almost as in bad of shape this year as last).

Hey Toni!!
So good to see you here!!
I bought Charles de Mills because you always make it sound so wonderful. Mine is already blooming!

Cindi - I dug CdM out because I originally planted it in a stupid spot. I had plans of making my front porch semi-enclosed & figured a nice climber would be great where I put him. But then I didn't factor in the lack of sun there (gets about 3 hours of sun a day & that's it) and the fact that, while HMF said thornless, my CdM has both thorns AND a bazillion prickles and he's not hesitant to reach out & grab you as you walk by.. and I have to walk by that area every time I want to turn on the outside faucet. So I dug him out in 2014 & put him in the back yard.. and then that particular bush croaked. But, low & behold, the next year, I had a teeny sprout in the original spot! Now he's about 3' tall and has quite a few blooms on him.. I really can't wait to see him open up. And he smells SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good, too... you'll love him. I know I do.

Lyn... for the coffee ground tip. I love my kitty and he lives strictly inside. Outside our raised beds are like kitty litter box heaven for neighborhood cats Know what you mean about working around and running into that. Yuk! Maybe I'll go to Starbucks and beg some grounds. The DH drinks a cup a day, so that won't cover much.

Tropical Lightning, a new one to me, sorry about the bad photo, the rose kinda blew apart in the rain.

I have that one too, Cindi. It's now showing a cluster of buds, but no blooms yet. I bought it because the photos reminded me of Tawny Tiger.

Rose (Rosa 'Tawny Tiger')

Toni, glad to see you posting again! I know all too well how overwhelming the garden is after a time of neglect. Sounds like you've got a positive attitude about it, and that is the biggest hurtle. Mine seemed like such a monumental task I didn't know where to start, but I just started focusing on small areas at a time. For some reason thinking of it as a bunch of smaller tasks seemed easier to approach. Then seeing one little area reclaimed inspired me to move forward. Wishing you a healthy and productive growing season

Cindi, is your Tropical Lightning red and white? The photos I had seen looked more like the Tawny Tiger photos Zuzu posted. Very pretty either way, and it may be one of those that you never know what color its going to show, which I think is fun. Have you been getting some hot weather? I've noticed some are exhibiting less intense coloring since it has gotten hot.

Cindi, forgot to tell you I hope you have a wonderful trip! How exciting! I'm looking forward to the photos