I am late for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day party, but life has been super hectic! But I am glad I finally have plants blooming in my neck of the woods. Hello from Minnesota, everyone! June is here and with it, a favorite time of the year for gardening. Here is MN we have been experiencing a heat wave since Memorial Day and it is nuts! Temperatures between 90F and 100F is not normal for us. But we are making so. We are just praying for rain right now, mostly because of the crops. But before showing you what is blooming, here is a quick view of what bloomed in May.
The Lily of the valley, always shows for a few weeks. But can be as elusive as a fairy if you aren’t paying attention because they bloom for such a short time. But it is always a joy to see as a harbinger of spring in my garden.
Peony season came and went at the home farm really fast due to the intense heat which literally shortened the season by about two weeks. But it was gorgeous while it lasted! And can you believe the unbelievable coral color of these peonies below? My photos do not do it justice. The iris also started blooming, as well as my roses. You can read more about those HERE.
Iris at the home farm
‘Imogen’ English rose
‘Scepter’d Isle’ rose
Let’s talk for a second about plants with an invasive nature that I thought would die with the Minnesota winter, BUT DID NOT. Enter oregano and German chamomile. I am still in awe that these two plants came back. Unfortunately, they started taking over big areas of garden beds that I was planning on using. The good thing is that they transplant beautifully so I was able to move them. A few days ago I harvested the first of the chamomile and oh my— I am in love with the scent.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is everywhere!
Not a flower but this year I am loving garden art, which I never did before. There is something magical about this one.
This year, I wanted to plant some taller spike shaped flowers, and planted larkspur and foxgloves (not from seed). They were gorgeous for the first few days, and then we had intense hot wind that felt like a wind tunnel. Not only did it bend the flowers, but literally stripped them of moisture in 24 hours. It was heartbreaking to watch. As you can see, we are in an open prairie, and they had no change for cover. The ones the survived are struggling to recover.
Purple Passion Larkspur (Delphinium (Boeotia)
'Candy Mountain' Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
On the other hand, two plants that are loving the hear are the dahlias and the yarrow. This year is my final attempt at growing them (I say that every year, but the way). But after the past two years failing for various reason, I am hoping they will be successful. And last but not least, is the lavender. Being in zone 4B, I do not even attempt to grow lavender here, even though it is my favorite. But in talking with a few experts, some in this area have had luck with Munstead lavender, so of course, I had to try it. It is now starting to flower. Also the Speedwell started flowering a few days ago, and this one will be beautiful with its hot pink spikey blooms.
‘Chilson’s Pride’ dahlia (Dahlia pinnata)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Munstead' Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
‘Pink Potion’ Speedwell (Veronica)
But before I leave, I wanted to share these images of thistle growing right outside the farm. Musk thistle is considered a noxious weed that is pretty invasive, but pollinators, birds, and other insects love it. Sadly, it can injure humans and animals when stepping on it. Confession— I just think they are beautiful and you have to admit that it is beautiful… even for a weed.
Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)
And there you have it friends— this is what is blooming on my garden. I am looking forward to settling in with a cup of tea and go visit other blogs. Happy gardening!