Stroll Along the River

            Yesterday fishermen took me in his company at the river. This river is small, at the widest point is about of 20 m and very close to our summer house. We went on foot, it was nice to walk through the woods.

The sun came out and everything was nice. Then weather became cloudy, and the rain was. I did not waste time and started taking pictures.

 There was a swamp near the river. The bog was big enough, but dry, we walked along the path one after another. 

When we passed through it I liked the reedmace (or cattails) . I remember as a child I gathered a lot of reedmace and put in a vase at home. But after 2-3 days it has become to fade, its beautiful brown head began to pour white fluff. It was so much that became very dirty in the house. Since then, I've never gathered reed mace. 

I liked the river. There were a lot of birds, even as I heard a beaver splashing in the water at that beach. But I couldn't take a picture, so he quickly dove into the water. 

 

At this place the river divides into small ducts and changes its stream. But here was the unexpected encounter! Right at me, the snake was swimming in the water, as if posing for the camera. 

 On the shore she quickly crept away through the grass into the bushes. I think it was a viper, it had stripes on the back and spots on the head. Generally I am afraid of snakes, but this appearance was so unexpected that I have no time to get scared.

From the other side of the river I found a small lake, it was very quiet. Trees and bushes were reflected in the calm water. Some water lilies, yellow, with large leaves were growing there.

  

Fishermen let go the fish in the river and were about to return. We all had a great time in the nature.

Fresh Veggies On a Table

   Summer, all vegetables are growing, blush, get yellow and generally delight the eye. 

This year, parsley grows like crazy. They said it should be planted so that the parsley was growing crowded. So I did this spring. I also have some lettuce, peas and beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and beet.

Here I have a full set of veggies for lunch salad: ripe tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, clove of garlic, some leaves of lettuce and parsley are already on the table. I have to wash and cut them all. 

I’ll add a little salt and sunflower oil, but I prefer to add some sour cream. A great salad for lunch. 

And what else? I take middle-size zucchini, 2-3 small onions, one ripe tomato from greenhouse and fry everything with oil. You can add some meat or fish, if you wish. I love some piece of bread. The black, rye one.

Now a cup of tea. I love tea with mint, lemon balm, or monarda leaves. Sometimes I take all these at once and put with tea bags into a teapot. Enjoy a perfect summer lunch!

 

I decided to write about my vegetables because of Holley's post “GardenBook Reviews July 2013”, she writes that started growing and eating more vegetables. She knows how good vegetables really are for people. Now it's your turn! Please join us on the 20th of every month! 

 

GBBD – July, 2013

It’s my first time I write on GBBD. Now after a few weeks of hot and sunny summer my garden is in blooms!

I show you the Canadian and Dutch roses. They have always pleased me with their resistance to all weather conditions and diseases. They staunchly resist rain, wind, snow, severe frost. In winter time, when I see a big snowdrift and some rose branches sticking out, I do not worry for them. I have two varieties of Canadian roses: ‘Martin Frobisher’ and ‘Therese Bugnet’ and Dutch varieties Pink Grootendorst and F.J. Grootendorst (red). 

 

Other roses are quickly starting up behind these ones. ‘The Fairy’ is one of the most unpretentious and well known roses. In the spring it already has buds when I open its covering. 

 

Rose ‘Blanc Double de Courbet’ grows by itself, doesn’t need any covering for winter as well. This year it blooms well.

Floribunda rose ‘Anadia’ is silver-pink, was badly damaged last winter and now it has a few buds.

I've planted two new roses. One is a 'Pristine' rose and another is ‘Pride of England’ which so far have a few flower. The rose 'New Dawn' is blooming well, it's three years now.

Shrub Potentilla (Bloodroots) has white and yellow flowers, and Rubus odoratus (Thimbleberry) has purple ones.

Finally lilies have bloomed. I have some lilies because they badly grow in this soil such an inappropriate for them. The most unpretentious Asiatic lilies survived and are blooming.

Surprisingly this summer gladioli bloomed early. I have different varieties in big tubs, the germinated bulbs were planted in April. 

The first Delphinium flowered in my garden, it turned out the blue one. Previously, all delphiniums didn’t flower at all, have no idea why.

That's all about the Northern GBBD. Hope in August I will be able to show you other plants in blooms.
What new plants do you show in this GBBD? Do you have any problems with them?

Ornamental Shrubs In the Garden

     I love ornamental shrubs because they beautifully set off other plants and flowers. Physocarpus opulifolius (Ninebark) grows 6 years in my garden, it has reddish-beet leaves, variety ‘Diabolo’.
It blooms in May and June, but its main quality is his leaves. It goes perfectly with lilies, peonies, bergenia, grey spirea, rodgersia.

Several years ago I purchased a small willow (Salix purpurea), variety "Nana". These plants have dense rounded crown, consisting of a very large number of small leaflets. Purple stems are very thin and flexible. Small narrow thin, pointed leaves are very graceful. From above they are painted in a bluish-green color, the lower part of the leaf is blue-gray.

 

In that summer I did a little pruning to my willow, then I planted some cuttings in the greenhouse and covered Salix for wintering.
What the horror was in the spring when I opened my beauty: it was sick, the fungus grew on its branches! I tried to cure but it died. What to do?
Then I remembered the cuttings that grew in the greenhouse. The two of them wintered well and gave the roots.They grew up and became beautiful small willows “Nana”.
A slim and slender meadow-rue grows near these willows. It is a little higher but its airy flowers beautifully look next to the gentle and delicate willow branches.

    When I stayed at the resort hotel I liked the big tree in a flowerpot. Looking closer, I realized that this was somewhat of Ficus Benjamin trunks intertwined as pigtail. Having arrived to St. Petersburg I found not far from my summer house three thin young willows growing in a ditch. I planted them in front of the house and the next spring I twisted their thin trunks as pigtail. 

The 8 years have passed and my twisted willows-“niwaki” grow well and the hostas, potentillas and lady's mantles are near their trunks.