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.