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Garden Bliss & Blunder, Issue #038
July 07, 2024

July's Gardens are Lush

“And the day came

when the risk (it took)

to remain tight in the bud

was more painful

than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin (1903-1977)

“Garden-making is creative work,

just as much as painting or writing a poem.

It is a personal expression of self,

an individual conception of beauty.”

Hanna Rion (Victorian writer)

I confess this newsletter is mostly about roses.

... No disrespect to my other plants that are gorgeous as well,

but this year... oh my....

I would love to take all the credit ,

but a mild winter for zone 5,

a long lovely spring, rain and sun.

... my roses are so happy... makes me happy too.

Front garden in sun

Side garden - part shade part sun with its resident protective Dragon

Back Shade Garden

But, am I still a Gardener

...if I can't garden?

“Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

May Sarton (1912 - 1995)

Grace? Ha!

My physiotherapist put his foot down- “no “work” (gardening) for a few weeks so your shoulder, neck and hands can “begin” to heal”.

Repetitive strain injuries, a fall, a long ago car accident, along with lots of pruning, pulling weeds, digging, carrying buckets, plants and shovels…. what’s not to love about all that?

Every once in a while, life forces us to our knees, (where I’d rather be weeding instead of writing about it).

I’m struggling with some lethargy… or maybe disappointment because someone wiser ways ”no”. Dealt with lots of disappointments in my life and managed so this is just one more - much less dramatic than some.

I have convinced myself, my garden life is not over, just on hold.

I grab the watering can and fill it…. oops, too heavy-warning pains to those hands and shoulder.

Sigh… I dump some and make 3 trips instead of one.

Lifting the tea kettle full of water…. or the puppy is heavy - so we snuggle sitting down instead -not with the kettle, with the puppy … after all, she's a senior too and deserves more snuggle time.

Sighing rather loudly I 'm trying to see this “heaviness” in my head is better than in my hands or shoulders.

Oh joy…. It’s raining again…. yay… I said that out loud, right?

I have time to learn and write about some new ideas and then sketch for a few minutes and walk around a lot; thinking, picking things up and putting them down because my plan has changed…for now.

I LOVE POURING RAIN.

The "Peterborough" Day Lily

"Angel-Face" Rose

"Bullseye" Rose

Onward Buttercup...

....there are more shenanigans waiting for me; gardens to plan, “to-do” lists to make while contemplating more design ideas (and plants of course... ).

In the meantime, my garden is at its best… the roses are even more gorgeous than either the tags, or my imagination..

I take more time to just ... look. I can sense the garden better... I can sometimes feel the scent rather than just smell it... funny how taking time does that.

Sitting still and feeling grateful is at the top of my list (with a wee sip of Rose Gin).

“When I am alone

I can become invisible.

I can sit on the top of a dune as motionless

as an uprise of weeds,

until the foxes run by unconcerned.

I can almost hear the unbearable sound

of the roses singing.”

Mary Oliver

July 'Tasks'

Watering...

You might be tempted to (un)dress this way when it is so hot.... but with all the mosquitoes, not sure it's too practical.

The idea is to make sure you water, water water...

Lately we have had a lot of rain, but if your garden is full like mine, the rain hits the leaves and runs off.... much of the time, it never reaches the soil beneath a lush habitat.

New plants need water every few days for at least the first month.. .. AT THE ROOT or base of the plant..

Overhead sprinklers only mist the air and rarely get water to the roots of the plants.

ESPECIALLY POTTED ANNUALS.... LOTS OF WATER AND FERTILIZER.

Water in the evening so the soil stays moist all night.

Use your rain water.... rain barrels here are full already.

DEADHEAD....

Especially roses.... - if you cut spent blooms, the rose will know it is not finished and send out more buds..

More buds = more blooms.

See more on deadheading (grooming roses) here:

pruning-roses-is-easy.html

Cut down the stem of this fading rose to the next 5-leaf set where you should see a tiny bud beginning to sprout between the cane and the leaf as in the sketch below.

Japanese Beetles - ugh !

Speaking of roses, some of mine are being destroyed by these mean-spirited beetles....( related to scarab beetles).

Native to Japan, they came on boats in plants decades ago and now they want to stay and eat my gorgeous roses.... how rude !

The adults feed on leaves - the tasty part between the veins, or the 'fruit" of the plant like roses, grapes, hops, canna, birch and linden.

Starting at the top of the plant (where of course the nicest flowers are) they decimate the plant using their sexy pheromones to attract others... sigh.