Tag: perennials

June in my Pacific Northwest (PNW) Garden

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June started with lots and lots of color in the garden. The weather wasn’t consistent and we continued to get lots of rain. We did get a few days with temperature highs of 80F but also lows in the 50’s.

It was a very good year for the peonies. Not only are most of my peony plants matured at this point, but I think they are also loving the consistent moisture. Lots of flowers are blooming. The roses are beautiful and I absolutely love the David Austin Eustacia Vye rose. However, this year I lost some of the roses – the Winchester Cathedral rose and the Knockout rose both finally died. And the three roses that I got from Costco last year didn’t survive either.

It was so exciting to spot swallow tail butterflies in my yard. Also very exciting is harvesting carrots. However, these carrots took so long to mature – I planted the seeds in September of 2023!! The first ones I harvested were very thin but sweet. I could harvest handfuls of strawberries this month as well. The tomatoes in veggie patch are looking strong, the peppers that I bought as seedlings are also looking fine. But the basil and pepper that I tried to grow from seeds are stunted. While I still planted them in the ground, I am not hoping for any yield this year.

The true bane this month have been the deer that keeps eating the roses, peas and even ate the tops of a strong tomato plant. The rabbits and slugs are at it too!

The highlight of this month is thyme front “lawn” which is flush with purple blooms! And the mophead hydrangeas in the backyard are also glorious.

While the front lawn is now lush with clovers, I did need to get that mowed a couple of times this month. In the last week, I spotted a swallow tail butterfly enjoying the clover blooms. It looks messy at times, but I think for now I will enjoy the buzzing activities of beneficial wild life. You can watch a video tour of my garden below. Enjoy the summer!

May Garden in Pacific Northwest (PNW)

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May started with bursts of Columbine blooms all around. Especially the east facing entrance to the backyard is full of columbines. They look a little messy but I love the flowers so much I let them bloom. I usually try to cut off the bloom heads before they set seeds, but often some seeds escapes and I get more and more of the columbines every year.

Among the bulbs (corms) that I planted in March, the first anemone flowers opened on 5/1 while the ranunculus were slower to bloom. By the end of May both varieties of Anemones (Mr.Fokker and Sulphide) and Ranunculus are full of gorgeous flowers. However, the highlight of May is certainly the peonies! And at this point I am obsessed with the Coral Charm peony that bloomed for the firat time in my garden. I planted a small bare root in 2022 and it bloomed for the first time this year. So so pretty. When it opened fully, the pollinators enjoyed it too. The roses also started flowering and I spotted the first dahlia emerge on 5/2. I am so happy that I don’t dig up my dahlias anymore. A lot less work for me and I only lost very few so far. Plus since last year, I am growing dahlias from seeds which is working so well for me.

This month is a busy one for the veggie patch. I planted the tomato (heirloom Beefsteak variety) plants that I grew from seeds in the ground on Mothers day – which is what I do every year. They are big and strong and already has buds. Pea plants are also big and strong but surprisingly no buds yet. I sowed a lot of radish seeds which have all sprouted. Beans and cilantro are planted too. I am very disappointed with the pepper and basil seedlings. They are growing so slow indoors. I guess the lack of warm weather here in PNW is slowing them down. As the weather heats up, I hope they catch up. I got a little impatient and bought a couple of pepper plants which are doing well.

I have been able to restrain myself from buying more perennials because I want the impact that groupings of plants can provide. Writing this blog throughout the month has also taken a back seat while I got busy tending to the garden. The video linked below shows a lot of the highlights of the garden in May. I am not a trained or skilled videographer, but I tried to capture the garden as it progress from the beginning to the end of May. I love to see the garden fill back with color after the spring flowering bulbs petered out. I hope you enjoy a short tour of our garden!

Primrose Wanda in Pacific Northwest (PNW)

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I have been growing Primrose Wanda for over a decade. I started with one small plug and now I have many which forms a border in my front flower bed and dotted throughout my garden.
The deep purple with yellow centered flowers form tidy mounds with contrasting green foliage. Exceptionally hardy, and quite a sight in the early spring garden. Primroses are meant to be grown in part shade to full shade parts of the yard. However mine are in the sunniest parts of the garden and has been thriving likely due to our relatively cooler summer temperatures in the PNW area. The plant foliage depreciate in the heat of the summer. Plants spread by creeping rhizomes to form small clumps.I propagate these plants by dividing the clumps after the blooms are over in late spring.

July in my Simple Urban Garden

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July is when the garden is in its prime. Though this is also the time when the heat of the summer soars, my lawn turns brown and I lose my patience with constantly watering the garden. PNW goes through a dry spell during the summer just when we need the rain the most.

I get most excited about the vegetables I harvest this time of the year. This year, I harvested garlic, peas, beans, lettuce, Swiss Chards and potatoes so far. I am definitely going to focus on growing more garlic. So satisfying and easy to grow them. The new (second) Plum tree bore a couple of perfect shaped yellow juicy plums this year which I harvested in July. The other plum tree which bears dark purple plums has lots of fruits which are yet to ripen. The birds have been enjoying these plums – hoping they leave a few for us to taste. I look forward to a day when the tree bears enough fruits for the birds and us to share.

I am also starting to think ahead and plan for what I want to plant for Fall. I know that this year, I will be sowing carrots and peas for some fall crop.

I captured the highlights of my July garden in the video. The audio quality is not what I expected. I hope to do better the next time. Let me know what you think. Happy Gardening!