Skip to main content

Featured

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...
5 comments
Read more

June Blooms


After a hot weekend, more pleasant weather has settled in and the long-term forecast shows consistent temperatures in the 70s. That is music to my ears, I just hope it lasts. We have been busy with the usual garden chores. Michael has been more adventurous than I and he created a small set of steps leading up to our shady path. He said he had been wanting to do that for a long time but didn't because of it making it difficult to move the lawnmower up to the top level. Well, we now have a battery-powered mower, a very lightweight, tiny thing which makes both of us happy.

The steps are almost finished, just some more gravel needed to top them -



Our new battery-powered lawnmower looks like a toy -



In the garden -

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) is just spectacular right now. My favorite fern.


Aruncus 'Horatio' has doubled in size this year and threatens to overshadow the shade garden. 

Baptisia 'Solar Flare' blooms after 'Purple Smoke' 

Jasmine 'Fiona Sunrise' should be happier now that we removed half of the ornamental grape that was threatening to take over.

And it is blooming!

Direvilla 'Firefly' - I replaced a flowering quince with this shrub last year and I absolutely love it. And so do the bees. That is what attracted me to it in the first place - it was covered with bee activity as the nursery.

Clematis 'Josephine' wins the prize for longest blooming clematis. It is still going strong.

Clematis 'Samritan Jo'

The hydrangeas are just beginning. 'Twist-n-Shout' is one of the first to bloom


Creeping Honeysuckle (Lonicera crassifolia) - Why did it take me so long to discover this plant? I have to thank my friend Linda Rectanus for sharing this with me.


Rose 'Red Eden' has never looked this good. Of course it would as it has been threatened with eviction. This is a smaller sized climber and I wish I had known that when I planted it on the arbor over our garbage bins. I wish for something larger but this is difficult to ignore.

Rose 'Swany' is huge. I will get a photo of the entire thing later. 


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post

Comments

  1. Kris PetersonJune 13, 2025 at 9:39 AM

    I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one celebrating Bloom Day early ;) Clematis 'Josephine' is the fluffiest member of the genus I've ever seen. The little fox sitting on your new steps also brought a smile this morning - I have what looks to be the very same sculpture in my own garden, faded but too sweet to scrap. (I've considered adding a little paint to him.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ardith FergusonJune 15, 2025 at 10:28 AM

    The steps look great! Please tell Michael congratulations. That can't be an easy job, but it does look very nice. Your photos of the recent plants and blooms are so beautiful, especially Clematis 'Josephine'.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts