Monday, July 1, 2013

Just a Summer Day

    How quickly time goes: spring was fast, the snow quickly melted, the leaves quickly appeared, grass began to grow too quickly. Constantly I have to mow the lawn. July began. Summer is in full swing. Days are very hot, with rains and thunderstorms. Permanently water tanks get empty after watering and filled with new rain.



However garden pests are not asleep. Gooseberry badly damaged, some berries fall off. Onions also withered: onion fly ate all the green shoots. I like to watch tomatoes. Grow and grow and turn yellow. I hope that in a month they can be removed and put in a box for ripening.



Strawberry has become to blush on a bed, and some berries are always on the table for breakfast.The wild strawberries ripen as well. It is not clear why they like to grow near my garden pond, some hang in the water.

Finally at the end of June the roses began to blossom. This spring, when the snow melted I saw that some of the roses died, their trunks blackened. I threw some, but I felt sorry for one of my favorite one variety "Margaret Merrill". I cut it at the root, and thought that it wouldn't come to life. But! Now the new shoots are growing, and the first bud appeared. 
Blooming roses is always fun in the garden. 


As always Pink Grootendorst roses (left) make me happy, they are very resistant to frost and disease.
White rose variety "Blanc double de Courbet" (left, under) is growing well, blooms and pleasantly smells.
Another light pink 'New Dawn' rose (right, two pictures) has blossomed, because last fall I told it to throw in the trash, unless would bloom. She's got it!
In the garden new assistants have appeared. They help around wooden compost boxes.



At first they hide, looking at me through the trees and then without any fear start checking grass and search for grass seeds. Usually is a pair of Bunting bird (Emberiza citrinella) - mom and her grown up nestling.
Clematis often suffer from winter frost. I try to warmer close them in autumn. Always a pleasure to see they come alive in the spring and start blooming. 


Here is my clematis "Rouge Cardinal" flowering on a trellis.
In March, I had a post where I talked about seeds which I purchased and planted on the windowsill. My seedlings were grown and now petunias and nasturtiums grow well in hanging vases, and gladiolus are starting to bloom in large flowerpots.



What a pleasant summer care, a pity that summer is very short here in the North! So I enjoy every day, no matter sun or rain, heat or coolness. My plants grow and the garden has become my favorite place.

53 comments:

  1. Hello Nadezda
    Great pictures you show. A little funny to see that many of the things I have in the garden also grows / grow with you.
    My roses are not as far forward as your - New Dawn blooms not yet - it is otherwise one of my favorite roses. I also really like one called "Blue for You" - a relatively new variety. My clematis is also not yet in bloom - probably because of the cold spring. Wishing you a good Monday / good new week :) Hugs Hanne Bente

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    1. I have seen Blue for You rose in HelpMeFind and I love it! But...it's not hardy, for 6th zone only. Clematis Rouge Cardinal blooms as crazy, has 12 flowers (it grows first year) because of the weather is still hot.
      Thank you, Hanne Bente!

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  2. It is all looking very beautiful, despite the pests. It is a wonderful time of year.

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  3. Great to see how your garden is giving you a lot of beauty. Great shot's of the birds.
    Have a wonderful summertime Nadezda

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    1. These birds live in a shadberry bush near my summer house. So they do not afraid the people and are always fed.
      Thank you, marijke!

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  4. Beautiful roses and clematis! Summer is grand for you. You get so much light now for so long during the day that everything must be exploding and growing like crazy. Enjoy it all, I know your season will be short.

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    1. Yes, Laurrie, our summer ends after 20th of August. The nights become cold, the plants stop growing. This year is enough hot summer and may be it will last longer!
      Thank you!

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  5. Summer is a wonderful time in the garden and your beautiful pictures capture it well! I hope you have a great week in your garden!

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  6. It looks as if all start flowering at once in your garden, even Gladioli are already in bloom. These are here mostly flowering in August. Strawberries are just starting to colour too.
    Enjoy your summerdays Nadezda, I do that too.

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    1. Janneke, right words:all started grow and bloom at once, as the weather got hot. I usually plant gladioli in containers and they bloom earlier, this year they are the earliest!
      Thank you!

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  7. Welcome Nadezda!
    Your garden gives you a lot of fun.
    Fruiting strawberries, strawberries. Tomatoes are high.
    The blend of beautiful flowers. I'm surprised flowering gladiolus.
    For me the two months (May and June) was only 10 days hot.
    It is still cloudy and rainy.
    I wish you good night.
    Regards:)

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    1. It's pity you have cold and wet weather this summer! My gladioli grow in container and because of a hot weather (28-30 C) began flowering in July. I have different varieties of them and think they will bloom in August as well.
      Thank you, Lucia!

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  8. Strawberries ae my favorite and yours look so yummy. Your roses are gorgeous. Love this time og the year.

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  9. Such gorgeous blooms! And the birds are adorable. I wish you more and more lovely garden flowers.

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    1. Michelle, my flowers and veges are as my kids, with their growing up, deceases, pests, in a shadow or sunny place. You know it, you're very experienced gardener.Thank you!

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  10. Hi Nadezda
    Sad news about the gooseberry and onion damage. The strawberries look lovely though. So do the roses. Glad your Margaret Merrill came back! And you're right - when you have only 6 months of warm weather, you have to enjoy every single day.
    Astrid

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    1. Today the Margaret Merrill has 3 buds and grows well. I hope to take pictures of it soon. The gooseberries are for eat only not for jam. Onion I will buy, thanks to fly. I planted new Pristine Pavement rose, it has pink flower and must be white. Funny!
      Thank you, Astrid!

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  11. Your garden looks beautiful Nadezda. Such lovely photos. I especially love the Bunting birds - such pretty little creatures. Glad you are enjoying the summer!

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  12. One certainly must appreciate the summer all the more when it is but a fleeting moment in the space and time... as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder... I can't imagine that I would appreciate the warmth nearly as much if it were persistent through the entire year... wonderful photos shared with us this day... Thank you, Larry

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    1. Larry, you're a philosopher! " a fleeting moment in the space and time ", sounds a bit sadly, doesn't it?
      Thank you!

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  13. Lovely to see your photos of beautiful flowers, especially Clematis (my favourite) and delicious Strawberries. You must enjoy the warmer days working outside and also viewing the garden from your windows. I'm starting to think about what I will grow next summer. It is time to prune roses here now.
    Happy days to you, Betty

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    1. Betty, I enjoy living in my summer house and as you say to see my garden from windows. It's a wonderful moment when at the morning I open the door and come out to the garden.
      Thank you!

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  14. How i like visiting your blog Nadezda!!
    Your garden looks like heaven!!!All those beautiful flowers!!
    I love your clematis and the strawberrie plant!!!
    Great pictures!!!Have a lovey new month of July!
    Dimi..

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    1. I am glad you liked my photos,
      thank you, Dimi!

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  15. Looks like a beautiful and perfect summer day. You did a great job of capturing it :-)

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    1. Glad you liked my shots. Thank you, Optimistic Existentialist!

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  16. Nadezda you are surrounded by beautiful colour and blooms. You are so right when you say that the pests grow as fast as the plants, here too! Isn't it a wonderful treat to have fresh strawberries each day?

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    1. Oh, yes, Rosemary! A pity that fresh strawberry lasts 2-3 weeks and than the bed isn't red of berries.
      I'm fighting against pests everyday, trying to use organic liquids.
      Thank you!

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  17. Your roses look so pretty and healthy, your whole garden does really and it looks so very summery as well, such a difference with things here, it feels so much like autumn and winter even. Cold, grey and wet. The grass is soaking wet, just as it is in winter. I truly hope we will get some summer over here. It was lovely taking a stroll through your gorgeous garden though, thank you!
    Marian

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    1. Marian, I've especially seen http://foreca.com and they promise hot weather from July 7 for you there. I do hope you'll have summer at last!
      Thank you!

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  18. Roses sometimes look dead, but begin to live after some time. Roses are lovely. Yours are blooming, mine have only buds. Happy gardening, Nadezda!

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    1. Yes, you are right! Fortunately I didn't dig my favourite rose,and now it is in buds.
      I hope your roses have flowers at your Open Garden day!
      Thank you!

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  19. A splendid selection, Nadezda.
    This time of year is the best in the garden, soon I will be going round and cutting herbaceous perennials back. Everything is lush and growing madly. Incl. the weeds.

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    1. Ha, ha! the weeds grow well here till snow! Thank you, Frico!

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  20. How lovely your pretty garden looks Nadezda. I love your roses. Thank you for sharing this with us.
    Patricia x

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  21. Nadezda girl your header picture is gorgeous ! I have a weakness for white/pink roses : )
    All of your plants look very healthy and so full of life !
    Yes ... our summers can be very short ... but also very brutal ... so surving the heat/humidity abd ? taking care of our garderns can be once heach of a job ! But worth it right ? LOL
    Joy

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    1. Joy, yes, it can! My plants and me enjoy this summer, such hot, sometimes rainy, cool.
      Thank you!

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  22. Your garden is full of life and loveliness, Nadezda! Beautiful roses, and your "visitors" look quite content amongst the blooms. I hope you have many sunny days to enjoy it this summer.

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    1. This summer is hot and sunny.
      Thank you, Rose!

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  23. You have a wonderful attitude... to enjoy every day. I think I will, too!

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  24. Nadezda, your roses are all beautiful but I love the 'New Dawn' rose! Good it listened to your reprimand :-)
    I hope you get a wonderful summer even if it is short, here in London we finally have summer too, and it seems it will stay with us for some time.
    Oh, and I haven't eaten wild strawberries since I left Norway in 1999, I can vividly remember how they taste and smell, I had them in my garden and could pick for weeks.

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    1. Glad you finally have real summer, I often see the forecast. I love wild strawberries as well, they have stronger fragrance than the garden strawberries. Nobody knows why they grow in my garden, I think the birds brought the seeds here.
      Thank you, Helene!

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  25. Hello Nadezda - just inside and wish you a good weekend. We have summer weather here right moment. sun + good 20 degrees. Hugs Hanne Bente

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  26. It must be wonderful to have strawberries each morning for breakfast! I quite like the Pink Grootendorst roses in this post. I am sure we garden under similar conditions and I am thinking that this might be a nice rose to consider for my own garden.

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    1. The Pink Grootendorst roses have interesting flower shape and smell well. It's very important they're resistant to frost up to -35 C that is perfect for our northern climate.
      Thank you, Jennifer!

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  27. Everything looks so beautiful! Those strawberries look delicious! :o)

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