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Garden Bliss & Blunder, Issue #48 June 08, 2025 |
June is Rose Month
I love Roses.... and have many but , of course, - never enough. This is a new addition to the garden
.... "Pink Lemonade"
Pink Lemonade starts out like this ....blooming yellow and fades to pink. .. how glorious. Bees...
I was a bit disheartened at not seeing many bees until last week ... now they are buzzing and humming all over the garden. ... they prefer flowers with open centres and even though some of my favourite roses are packed full of petals, I still buy some with open hearts (like Pink Lemonade).
Bees are all over this Jacob's Ladder (Polonium reptans).
... I love how they just dive in... and sometimes doze off.
Bees Need....
...flowers but they also need water....
Put some small flat stones or marbles in the dish so they have somewhere to rest while they drink ... otherwise, they can drown if the water is too deep. Keep it fresh. How to save a bee....If you spot a bee on the ground or not flying (unless it's on a flowering plant), it might be STARVING! You can help. We're deep into the "June Gap"- the period between the end of spring blooms and the beginning of autumn flowers, when pollen and nectar are scarce. Here's what you can do: Mix two parts sugar with one part water to create a simple syrup. Offer it to the bee on a teaspoon. She (most bees are female) will gladly drink it, and you might even spot her tiny black tongue as she does. It takes about 10 minutes for her to turn the syrup into energy, and if you're in time, she'll fly away. Watching her recover and take off is worth the effort. PLEASE NOTE: This is just a temporary fix-a form of "first aid." Bees need a diverse diet and must pollinate plants to thrive. I'm not suggesting we feed them sugar regularly. NO HONEY, PLEASE: Feeding honey to bees can spread diseases between colonies, causing more harm than good. Stick to white sugar and water only.
Bees love Forget-me-nots .... did you know you can tell if one of these tiny flowers has been visited by a bee? If the centre ring is white.... the bee has been there... If it is yellow, it is still waiting for a bee-visit.. Fireflies and Lightening Bugs...I have seen just a few lately but find them magical.
Fireflies—or lightningbugs—are not flies or bugs but are actually beetles in the family Lampyridae. Like all beetles, they undergo complete metamorphosis with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The complete life cycle can take from a couple of months to two to three years or more; the majority of their life cycle is spent in the larval stage. Firefly larvae are voracious predators of soft-bodied invertebrates like snails, slugs, and worms. They typically hunt for their prey in moist soil or marshy areas, using their mandibles to inject them with paralyzing neurotoxins. Once their quarry is immobilized, they secrete digestive enzymes that liquefy the prey before consumption. Yikes....
Fireflies thus fall into three main groups depending on their courtship style: daytime dark fireflies, which are active during the day and do not produce light; glow-worm fireflies, whose flightless females glow to attract mostly non-luminescent males; and flashing fireflies (a.k.a. lightningbugs), which are probably our best-known fireflies due to the quick, bright flashes they produce. Pupae can be found underground, in leaf litter, in small earthen chambers, or attached to herbaceous vegetation or in tree bark furrows. There is a lot more on the site below.... Sit still in your garden tonight and watch for them.... turn off the light for a bit.
Young Firefly - Photo : David Hobson Ladybugs...I love Ladybugs.... but sometimes I forget to look closely to see the difference between the ones we like and the interlopers. Asian ladybugs will bite - while Ladybugs rarely do. If one is nibbling on you, it’s likely the invasive Asian ladybug. Asian ladybugs secrete a yellow, foul-smelling scent but Ladybugs don't. In the fall, Asian ladybugs tend to swarm and want to come inside the house with you.
The Redbud Story continues ...Remember the ice-storm damage last month? when our Redbud split its trunk? Well ... here it is and I believe it will live....it won't be as prettily pruned as it was, but still strangely beautiful and better still... it is alive...
...and now new sweet leaves
More Red in my garden...The red new leaves of the Redbud bring colours that often start out vibrant but as Summer comes with hot days, those colours fade - letting others shine. In one small bed I put shades of red to lead your eye from there to the Redbud as its leaves darken in maturity.
The small garden behind the blue chairs is the lowest point in this garden and is usually damp... the rain falls and runs off the patio into this garden - the lowest point. Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) loves damp earth and surrounds the red dragon. Add a red bowling ball from a yard sale, some random sedum (not sure its name but it appeared one day so I let it stay) .... and the colours live.
I transplanted an Ontario native Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) there as it will get the moisture it needs. Its flower is a brilliant red with dark burgundy stems.
Its showy, red flowers need hummingbirds and bees to pollinate them. It loves damp, rich soil, and would also do well in a rain garden. I have such fond memories of masses of Cardinal Flowers growing in the ditches along the road to the cottage (north of Bancroft).
Blues in my Garden...Funny how I love to wear red but rarely wear blue.... but in my garden? I LOVE Blue... There aren't too many blue flowers that like the Black Walnut but I fill in with blue pots and bunnies and balls.... There are Delphiniums, Phlox (bordering on purple), some flowing annuals for pots, Nepeta, Pansies, Spanish Bluebells in the Spring and Veronica later. Whenever I see a plant with blue flowers, I cannot resist and will find a space for it.
Thoughts...
“To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you (what) you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul (and your garden) alive”
Robert Louis Stevenson
“Sacred space and sacred time and something joyous to do is all we need.”
Joseph Campbell
'While nations are convulsed with rage, how quietly the flowers and grass grow.'
~ E.H. Chapin (1814-1880)
Forest fires are still burning...In the western and northern parts of Canada, there are thousands of acres burning... whole towns evacuated... wild animals lost and pets lost. The heroes saving lives.... 2 legged and 4 legged are exhausted... If you can, please donate to the Red Cross and any of the animal rescues you can.
My donation....
I painted this of the fire clouds. "No time to mourn for roses when the forests are burning"
This painting is for sale for $250 Acrylic on canvas... 12x16 Half of the sale I will donate to the Red Cross and the other half to the animal rescue in Manitoba. If you are interested - Send me an email at: cauleensgardens@gmail.com
Unfortunately, I cannot ship to the US... so Canada only please.
Until Next time....Lucy says...
When you spend time in the garden, make sure you have a cozy place to take a nap and if it is a bit cool, wear a little shirt
Books...
"From Wasteland to Wonder"... Basil Camu An arborist who plants trees instead of cutting them down.... and ways you can plant a mini forest in a very small space.... you can find it on line - free - but the book is incredible.. and worth every penny. Locally: Take Cover Books on Hunter St. in Peterborough.... Now, go see some more art....New art.... all the artists did a "wall" switch.... it was fun to get together and see what's new.... please come, have a snack or meal and check out the art.
Claire Sullivan's art
My Art Back Issues for Garden Bliss & Blunder
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