This Summer Harvest

          Summer is in full swing and the result of labor in the spring garden (seedlings, seeds, watering, shelter from frost, feeding)  has already seen.

Currant bushes delight me with abundance of berries, although they were attacked by pests in spring . I had to spray two times until the leaves have been cleared. But now you can pick up the full palm of juicy berries, wash them and eat! Or eat berries right from the bush!

 redcurrant, gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes

Outdoors tomatoes survived all cold weeks in May and June, and now fruit grow and redden.  It is early to eat them, but it's a pleasure to look at.

I can already eat cucumbers, put in a salad with juicy lettuce, parsley and green onions. Cucumbers grow in the open soil and in the greenhouse, it is difficult to say where they are better and bigger. I bought hybrid seeds without pollination for the greenhouse. But it turned out "as always": seeds of different varieties were in packets. Outdoors cucumbers are cold-resistant, and they have stood the test of low temperature.

 

Cucumbers and lettuce

I've planted dill, onion for green leaves in my new raised bed. Now they are as a forest! Parsley pleases this year, sprouted and grew well. But I had to cover it in June cold weeks.

dill and onion, 'curly' parsley and lettuce, parsley

 

Apple trees  can not withstand great harvest this year, I had to put supports under their branches. Although apples ripening is delayed due to the cold early summer, they redden little by little.

Zucchini grow as well, blossom, young zucchini ripen, some of them are already eaten. I planted them a bit densely, I thought that someone would not survive and die because of cold. But all plants are alive and well and give the dark green and yellow zucchini.

That's the entire harvest for now. Broad beans, peas, haricot beans, beets, carrots on the way and will be collected later.

Do you grow veggies and herbs in your garden? What have you harvested for now?  Thank you!

Colorful Dianthus

Do you love Dianthus? I do, but Dianthus doesn't always grow well and especially winter well in my garden. Even so two years ago I planted mixed seeds of Dianthus barbatus or 'sweet William' or  'Turkish carnation' (as we call it) in my greenhouse and in autumn I had small seedlings.

These seedlings were planted in September, they wintered well and this summer Dianthus prettily flowers. Look at its different varieties:

Besides 'sweet William' I planted the seeds of perennial  Dianthus deltoides or 'Maiden Pinks', we call it 'Grassy carnation'.  I think 'Maiden Pinks' with little flowers on thin stems look beautifully when are planted very closely.

  
I have Dianthus deltoides of two varieties: with pink and white petals. 

I like this perennial 'Maiden Pinks' Dianthus because it perfectly extends and winters under snow. It's said if there is not enough snow this plant may be frozen but in spring quickly restores. My  'Maiden Pinks' did not winter well last year because the snow was not in its spot, but frost was. Even so it recovered and this summer blooms well.

What is Dianthus common name in your country? What species of it grow in your garden? Thank you!

A Tribute

 

  To all the innocent victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash over Ukraine

GBBD in July

The time runs and we're in July, 15th and the Garden Blogger Bloom Day is now again. What is flowering in my Northern garden in the warmest month? My roses began to bloom, they have many buds and flowers. And they smell wonderfully!

 rose floribunda 'Pristine'

climbing rose 'Flammentanz'

 Canadian rose 'Therese Bugnet'

Canadian rose 'Martin Frobisher'

rose floribunda 'Golden showers'

The water got warm in my pond and the water lilies (nymphaea) have begun to open their buds. Three nymphaeas - two white and one red - decorate water surface.

Clematis is in bloom as well! Here is 'Cardinal' variety:

This is  the bush rose 'Blanc double de Coubret' : its strong fragrance feels in a distance!

 

The Grootendorst rose grows near the pond. I have 2 varieties of it: 'FJ Grootendorst' - the red one and "Pink Grootendorst' (third photo). These roses are very hardy. I love its carnation-style flowers.

rose Grootendorst

'Amber Velvet' floribunda rose

I've bought this rose named 'Amber Velvet' and I wanted to have amber color rose, but... it's deep red and beautiful! Who knows this rose? What the variety is?
I'm glad my garden is colorful and fragrant, I can enjoy every moment of the only warm season in my garden!  What is flowering in your garden now?Thank you!

Thalictrum or Meadow Rue

I love this amazing plant, it grows some years in my garden, has a graceful foliage that reminds Columbines, with which Thalictrum is in one botanic family.

Thalictrum is unusual perennial with fragrant flowers, without petals. It has straight stems up to 2 m tall, delicate leaves are shiny on the upper side. The flowers are small, numerous, gathered in paniculate inflorescence. Immediately after the buds are opened, its petals fall off and numerous stamens remain. 

The flowers are getting similar to the fluffy balls or brushes. Inflorescence resemble a light cloud, painted in white, red, yellow, purple, lilac or burgundy depending on the Thalictrum species and varieties. Numerous stamens are much longer than the petals.
Meadow rue is decorative, unpretentious and well tolerated northern climate. It grows well in the sun, in little shading and even under the trees.

This plant is thriving even on infertile areas, only it needs enough moisture. Thalictrum grows especially lush, with large, bright buds on fertile, nutrient-rich soils, is winter-hardy and does not require any special care.
Do you grow Meadow rue in your garden or would you love to? Thank you!