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10 June Favorites

Magnolia 'Kay Parris' With so much going on in the garden in June, it is hard to choose only ten favorites. I challenged myself and have done just that. These are plants that look good around the midway point in June, specifically from June 15-20.  I begin with Magnolia 'Kay Parris'. Believe it or not, having spent the majority of my life in the South, I never grew a magnolia. They are emblematic of the South, where magnificent specimens grace old plantation homes and stately homes in older neighborhoods. I always thought of magnolias as huge trees, not suited to a small garden, but things have changed, and more varieties are now available that are not supposed to grow as large.  We now have two magnolias in our garden, both of which were added recently. When one of the old photinias that line our back property line died, it left a gaping hole. I had been looking at magnolias at the nursery and decided a smaller one might make a good backdrop and create a good privacy s...
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Workman 2023 Calendars


I don't recall when we started putting calendars on our refrigerator but it is now a yearly ritual. We used to buy garden-related calendars but now that we are curious bird watchers, we've shifted to bird calendars. We like the ones that have ample writing space to record friends and families birthdays as well as doctor's appointments and so forth. For three years now, the Audubon Birds calendar fits the requirements and it is a treat for the eyes first thing in the morning. 

Workman Publishing offers a nice collection of calendars in a wide range of subjects and formats (wall, desk, gallery, etc.). Subjects range from gardens and pets to travel and shoes. Right now, you can get 15% site-wide with the code WINTER22. Check out the website for more details and shop all their calendars. And, I must add they have some very beautiful jigsaw puzzles! I'm adding some of these to my Christmas wishlist.

In addition to the birds calendar, the Secret Gardens calendar has always perked my interest. According to the publishers, this is one of their bestsellers and they have sold 1.2 million copies since its debut. This year's calendar features gardens scenes from English gardens (with the exception of one, Butchart Gardens in Vancouver, Canada). The September garden is one of my favorites - the garden of Beth Smith in North Devon. I saw this garden on Gardener's World. Most of the photographs were taken by Clive Nichols. There are also quotes for each month from writers and artists like Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf, and Georgia O'Keeffe. 




                                    





The Audubon Songbirds and Other Backyard Birds is a larger format calendar and measures 28" x 12" when opened. Each month features a specific bird with a description and smaller bird photos of various species are featured on each day. As I mentioned earlier, there is extra space around the dates if you want to add notes. A truly beautiful calendar!







And is there life for an old calendar? Well, if you are creative like Michael, you can turn them into origami boxes -


Disclosure: Workman Publishing sent me the calendars in exchange for a review. The opinions are strictly my own. 


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy


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  1. AnonymousDecember 2, 2022 at 7:56 AM

    You (and Workman) read my mind; this is useful info. And it brings up another point— TV shows related to gardening. You mentioned Gardener’s World. Know of any others? Old episodes of Erica Glasner’s show (I think it’s Gardener’s Diary) are on YouTube and they’re very good.

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    1. Phillip OliverDecember 2, 2022 at 11:19 AM

      Hello Anonymous :) -- there are some older gardening shows on YouTube. Most of it though is individuals you have their own channels. The National Garden Scheme has some good videos of British gardens. Another good one is John Lord's Secret Garden. He is amazing.

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  2. Hoover BooDecember 2, 2022 at 3:07 PM

    Michael very creative with the origami--cool! Those are beautiful calendars.

    Will look up John Lord's Secret Garden. Thanks for the suggestion.

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