June Garden, 23

 June is coming to an end, the first month of summer. June 21 was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. As much as we would like to extend the summer, the days began to decrease little by little. 

I want to show you how my garden developed in June, it's a small "report for the month".  Hot weather began in the middle of the month and the plants started to develop rapidly. For several days the roses bloomed in different parts of the garden.  

 

Garden geranium, camomile and decorative onions bloom in raised flower beds. 

 

Purple rhododendron began to bloom near the blue fir - this is the last flowering rhododendron, the rest have already faded. 

You can imagine how much I needed to water the plants on hot days. I'm glad the new pump works great. The old pump burned out last year. I have an irrigation hose, it is long enough to water all the plants.

Tomato plants are growing and already blooming in the greenhouse. Next to them, I planted green vegetables - lettuce, dill, parsley, basil, peas.  

 

They grow well despite the fact that often the temperature in the greenhouse rises to 30 C. I had to do shade there. This is also a problem. It was cold, then suddenly it gets hot!

I often find myself thinking that these worries are pleasant and distract me. That there will be the time when plants do not need everyday watering and attention, that I can sit with a book or read the Internet. 

How do you spend your time in June?

 

Magnolia

 A few years ago, even a long time ago, I bought a small magnolia bush from a nursery near St. Petersburg. Years passed, and the magnolia bush sat in its place, did not grow and, of course, did not bloom. What magnolia flowers look like, I could only see in the botanical garden or on the Internet. 

 

To my disappointment, I learned that magnolia is a southern plant. They bloom in white, pale yellow and ivory pink flowers, with some species blooming in mid-summer and others in late winter, as harbingers of the warm weather to come.

The time has come and I needed a plot of the garden where the magnolia sat. Without any regret I dug it up and put it in the shade to find a new place for it. The place was not very suitable for flowering, between the fence, the barn and the old strawberry patch.  

 

It cannot be said that this place is in the sun or well lit. No, nothing like that. The shadow from the fence closes the magnolia planting site until almost noon. The change of location must have been stressful for Magnolia. The next winter, the plant survived the high snow, completely covering it.  Last June, I suddenly noticed beautiful flowers on the almost bare branches of a magnolia.

 

This year, already on May 31, the first magnolia bud blossomed. The remaining flowers bloomed after June 2. Beautiful flowers of pale pink color, many buds adorned the magnolia. This is the magic of nature. Magnolia continues to delight me with its flowers.

It's amazing how this southern plant survives in my garden, under a snow blanket in winter?

Rhododendrons In Bloom

 

Such beauty in my garden from the end of May to the middle of June every year! I never get tired of admiring the flowering of my rhododendrons. They are already 10-12 years old and every year there are more and more of their flowers. These are evergreen rhododendrons and deciduous azaleas. All varieties are bred in Finland, in the Mustila nursery. A few years ago I was in this nursery and saw a variety of plants. They do a great job in the nursery. All the plants I have purchased are hardy in my 5a zone.

I care for and treat my plants, I always carefully examine them, especially after flowering is over. After the faded flowers, young leaves appear, which should be healthy. I always remove faded flowers. In autumn, I sprinkle acidic fertilizers, potassium and phosphorus under the roots of plants, I water very often before the onset of winter. Sometimes rain helps me with watering :)

If you grow rhododendrons and azaleas, tell about your experience. Thank you.

 Video of my rhododendrons: