June Update - Part 2

This is the Part two of my June update....here is part one. This is kind of like one of those vacation slide shows... Well if you are here, maybe there is something interesting you will find in our June garden.

I love these flowers (above and below). The barrel on the right has what I have thought are "purple tansy"...they look nice as seedlings, in bud, and purple blooms later.


We started a rain barrel in the ferns by the garage. I wonder if they will fill in and hide the whole garbage can. At least it has been full so I know it won't tip over with the weight of water.


This year we are growing parsnips...the ones in the back are a couple weeks ahead of those in the front. This brick really has no purpose.


I never knew parsnips look like cilantro...I will have to check the spacing and maybe thin these.


It is a time of alliums here...chives are blooming. Given a warm, sunny morning I should find some bees in them.


Another allium, love the tall blooms of these.


We are starting some ever-bearing strawberries to supplement our June-bearing harvest. There are also some pole beans and cucumbers in this barrel...we will see if they grow over the fence.


Jerusalem artichokes / sunchokes are another new plant this year....here I have some in a container...


We also have a bed of sunchokes started. It will be fun to see how they look in the fall.


These are some very nice hostas we inherited with the house. I really like how large these get -- they fill in most of this North side of the house.


A volunteer viola -- I hope to get more growing. These are another of those edible flowers.


Parsley from last year is starting to build a seed stalk. It will be the first time I see parsley flowers.


June raspberries are almost here...


Finally, I was impressed to see an herb return from last year. This lemon balm returned where parsley failed to survive the winter. This made a great addition to my wood sorrel cold tea.


Thanks for visiting our garden!

Crocus and Bee

(bee and crocus)

I am so happy! We have crocuses blooming and the first bee of the season....Time to get the bee house out/made. I decided to take a tour of the yard now that all the snow is gone and found this surprise. The first crocus bloom was actually on April 9th, which seems fairly average here. But the pictures with the bee are so much better!


(bee and crocus)

Finally we have a few days in the 60s F. Many shoots can be spotted like this hyacinth.

(hyacinth)

Chives are starting to shoot up as well.

(chives)

We added rhubarb to our garden last year...here is a shoot just starting to rise above the leaves.

(rhubarb sprouting)

Our only flowers right now are the crocuses. This is a new addition last fall. I like the effect of the purple striping.

(purple painted crocus)

Here are more purple with some pure white as well...

(purple and white crocus)

Here's the first group that started to bloom - on the west side of the house. I think next year the new additions (above) on the south side might take over the honor.

(light yellow crocus)

I have been reading up on that resources we might have right in our yard. I already knew a few things like dandelions are available, but here is the first prize for a "wild edible" this year: day-lily shoots.

(garden bed with common day-lily shoots)

[Please note aka disclaimer, eating things - especially wild plants is at your own risk. Be sure to correctly identify the plants. Also, individuals can have reactions to plants others can safely eat, so go easy at first.]

I have read in many sources that day-lilies are edible. After checking the blooms from last year (4th of July) it looks like ours are the common day-lily Hemerocallis fulva. I guess a typical urban yard fits the profile of a waste ground or disturbed land. According to my Peterson Field Guild there are many stages at which this plant can be used:

Early Spring: Small, tender shoots in salads
Early Spring: Small shoots cooked like asparagus
Early Spring: Young tubers in salad or cooked like corn
Summer: Buds as green beans or fritters
Summer: Flowers as fritters and seasoning
Fall: Older tubers can be cooked like corn


(harvested day-lily shoot and tuber part)

I have to say, the raw tubers and shoots were not bad at all and quite mild. I prefer the salad option to the cooked. I can't wait to try out the flowers...for now the next edible may be dandelion greens...

Orange Surprise (GBBD June 2008)

Welcome to my garden bloom tour for June 2008. This post is in coordination with Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at the "May Dreams Gardens" blog where you can find many other gardens in bloom. This orange flower has a presence this month, but I might say some of the buds steal the show as well.
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The Blooms:

I wasn't sure what to expect a few days ago when I noticed this plant tucked in the back of a wildflower bed. It's the first bloom in the bed and really stands out. Update: I think this is Siberian Wallflower ("Cheiranthus allionii").


My seed grown violas 'Johnny Jump Up' are just starting to bloom. Isn't it cute?

Viola cornuta (Violaceae)

Now is finally the time for chives and alliums. The bees should be flying in soon.



Allium (ornamental) & Allium schoenoprasum

How about these small white and pink flowers...they're radishes. The beneficial bugs love them and maybe they can keep the pests busy too.



The alyssium I planted have been blooming for a few weeks.


It's a common weed, but it is blooming.


A I mentioned earlier this month, the peas are in bloom. In fact, some can be harvested from the snap variety right now - I will let them get a bit bigger before picking though.


The nursery violas are continuing to flower.


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The Buds:

Some plants are quite ready to show this month, but they're getting ready.

Some asiatic lilies here and to the south of the house are forming buds.


The wildflower will be the second plant to bloom in that plot. Onions from last year are forming buds.

Spurred Snapdragon (Linaria maroccana) & Onion

A kind of red clover is starting to get a hint of color. This other flower bud has an interesting look.

Red clover & ?Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)?

Not sure what these two are, but they're in the "wildflower" plot too.

?Catchfly (Silene armeria)? Dairy Pink (Vaccaria pyramidata) & Sweet William (Dianthus)

Here you can get an idea of some "Tiger" lilies that have buds - I'm sure they're a few weeks away or more.


Well, you made it to the end of the tour. It has been a cool spring and lately wet. This has left a number of plants behind this year, but has been good for the cool season crops. Some more bloom day information...

Skipped (flowered and done between last bloom day and this):

• Flowering shrubs

Continuing (flowering since at least last bloom day):

• Dandelion
• Viola (purchased)
• Strawberries

Buds (of note and not pictured):

• Shasta Daisy

Pea Flowers

My biggest news this post is peas! I am happy to see many blooms on the 'Strike' shelling peas and a couple of days later on the 'Sugar Ann' snap peas. So that means peas to eat soon. It is also interesting that the original Sugar Snap peas I planted at the same time are doing fine, but since they are a tall vine variety they will be 2-3 weeks later.

A couple of pea blossoms.


The farthest along Sugar Snaps.


I couldn't resist a morning dew picture. It's challenging to get this one because the sun was behind me.


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I figured it's also past time to take some shots of some of our garden spots. Not that we have many yet.

Here's a corner by the house. I think it's shaping up to be a dill forest this year (just wait).


Here's a couple of shots by the strawberries including a side angle of that bed.


The formerly all weedy spot by the garage. Do you like our wonderful bird bath?


A bit closer to the corner. I like how the ferns are filling in. We need to add some mulch and rocks there.


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Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' or coral bells. These two have done well in there spots and have been pretty hardy both to the winter and summer.


Large hostas on the south side. We are trying to decide what to do with the open spots between plants.


The chives have started blooming.


And the Allium 'gladiator'. I may have to move some of these since most have not flowered since the first year.


One last plant picture, I still have to find the tag for this one. (Update: I think this is Ligularia)