And just like that... the garden is in full bloom. June is always such a hectic month that it seems to be whizzing past in a rush. With so many borders to weed and the kitchen garden to plant, I'm struggling to capture it in pictures. Still, I'm savouring every moment of it as soon enough we go into full summer.
The woodland border at Humlegård has changed so much from last year. It is fascinating to keep track of the natural changes that occur from year to year, and I'm so happy I started this blog because without it I would have no record of these changes. This year suddenly the bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) that last year put on such a show have all disappeared. Why is this I wonder? Was the winter too harsh with the constant thaw of the snow and plummeting temperatures leaving the ground bare of snow and covered in deep frost, or do they just give up the ghost after a certain number of years? My gardening friend Helena says that often times modern varieties are bred to put on a great display but not to last for many seasons, and I feel it may be so.
The columbines (Aquilegia vulgaris) have suffered a similar fate, but at least these darlings have the redeeming feature of spawning lots of seedlings before they go. This year there are not so many flowering ones in my border as in years before, but in between plants I see their babies coming up which gives me hope for next years show. As a lot of my columbines belong to the multicoloured Harlequin group it will be interesting to see what colour combinations I will find next year; the seeds often don't come up same as the parent plants.
The pink theme is stronger this June than during previous seasons. The Johnsons blue geraniums are late, so I expect them to start flowering next week, and instead pink Geranium sanguine are thriving early in this year. The Rhododendrons that didn't die of frostbite are happily in bloom, and as always the deep blue sea of bulge (Ajuga reptans) is making the perfect backdrop for the beautiful purple flowering giant onions (Allium giganteum).
Lulu the dog is growing in size by the day, but not so much in wisdom. She is a keen gardener and wants to be a flower fairy when she grows up. Or maybe a treasure hunter, as she sneaks off to bury all her treasures (bones, soft toys, sticks...) every time I turn my back.
"You are not a good gardening dog!" I tell her as I find another patch of freshly dug ground amongst the plants.
"What do you mean?! I had nothing to do with it! It's the cat!"
"Don't blame Luna. She's far too discerning to wreak havoc like this."
"It's the birds then. I've been sleeping quite still here in the shade for many minutes now."
"Many minutes... I'm way too old for this!" I tell her, and long for the chickens to lay down to roost so I could have baby chickens to calm my nerves. I'm starting to feel that they are somewhat shattered from all the adventures of Hurricane Lulu.
