Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Welcome June and The Big Surprise is Revealed!



June has come in with a bang!! We had some needed rain and my summer flowers are starting to bloom while many of my spring flowers are still going strong. It makes me a very happy gardener. Let's take a look.....


 Daylilies with Larkspur




 Love all these blooms



Blanket Flowers do well in my garden and I have many different kinds...here are two of them







My first attempt at Gladiolus. I planted 20 corms and they all came up







The Clematis are still blooming!



"Red Rum" Daylily



One of the many places to sit and relax



The "Secret Garden"...surrounded by Salvia, Bee Balm, Phlox, Daylilies, Iris, Asters and Black Eyed Susans



The ground here is mostly gravel so I put this little vignette together. I made the hypertufa pot on the left



The Asiatic Lilies are opening



 Bee Balm is opening and the Larkspur are still blooming! Our current project is changing all the paths from mulch to gravel. This path was done on Saturday. The Mockingbird on the fence approves!



"Rocky Top Hybrid" Coneflower...a Tennessee native















Poppy Mallow



I have lots of Shasta Daisies...some are short and some are over four feet tall



Both sides of the driveway are covered with "Cha Cha Cha" Coresopsis
















AND NOW..... the BIG SURPRISE is revealed.....

This was originally going to be a square on the ground that was planted like a quilt (we got the idea from Asheville, NC Arboretum's famous quilt garden). Then we found the head/foot boards. The idea is that the lattice is the dust ruffle, the white Petunias are the pillow and the Calibrachoa and purple Petunias are the quilt. Due to the fact that we had four late freezes, I had to replant this several times, so it hasn't matured as much as I'd like, but I wanted you to finally see it! Eventually the Calibrachoa will cascade down the sides and foot of the bed just like a quilt!








In wildlife news....

The five Bluebirds babies hatched two days ago and mommy and daddy have been busy feeding them. So far, so good! 
 and....
could this be the kitty I've been wanting!!?? I'm not sure if he's feral, but he turned up several days ago and I've started feeding him. I've seen him every day and I've named him Beasly. If he turns out to be tame, we will take him to the vet for vaccinations and neutering and put a belled collar on him. 

What's happening in your June garden?
Until next time......

Happy Gardening!

Words and Photos Property of Christy's Cottage Wildlife Garden



61 comments:

  1. WOW! What a gorgeous garden. Love those Asiatic Lilies. The Blanket Flowers and Shasta Daisies are so sweet. Your big surprise is spectacular! Now that is a truly a wonderful flower bed:)

    PS Congrats on the baby bluebirds. We need more of them in the world.

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    1. Hi Steph....you are so kind!! Thanks so much! I'm going to plant more Asiatic Lily bulbs this Fall because some of the newer beds don't have any...(that's a good excuse to plant more bulbs!!) I'm glad you liked the Big Surprise. I'm praying my babies are Ok and grow into beautiful adults. I worry so much about them and mommy and daddy are working so hard to take care of them! Thank you so much for stopping by the garden today!!

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  2. Bad question (not your fault though Christy) . It's been raining almost steadily for three weeks. My little spring creek trout streams are now raging rivers. The local farmers have yet to be able to till and plant the corn and soybean fields and many have already given up and the lucky few will be able to collect crop insurance on an unplanted crop. The yard and woodland flowers are late but green. I hope to post some pictures in a week or two...

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    1. OMG tb, that's just awful. I know many areas need rain but come on!!!The weather has been really odd all year! That is so sad about the farmers. I have to admit I wasn't even thinking about how this odd weather was affecting the farmers. My heart goes out to them. I hope your home and garden are ok considering all that rain. Hang in there! I appreciate you taking time to visit my garden!!!

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  3. Oh, my gosh, Christy...
    Your gardens look like paradise. I think I've said it before....I would never go in the house, if I lived there. Your surprise is wonderful. How clever. Looking forward to later pictures of it. My gardens look so small now :(
    Balisha

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    1. Hi Balisha...thank you so much!! I really appreciate that!! I will definitely post future pictures of the "bed" bed. Your garden is fabulous!!!!! I'm so glad you stopped by!!

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  4. Your gardens are looking fantastic! I adore your "flower bed." The coneflowers are beautiful and so are the daylilies and larkspur and penstemon and nigella. Just a wonderful garden, Christy!

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    1. Hi Beth....thank you so much...I really appreciate it!! I thought the flower-bed bed was a nice cottage touch!! So glad you came by!

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  5. Even if Beasley is feral you should catch him or her and take him or her to the vet. It's fairly easy to do once you have his trust. It'll be a better cat for it! So wonderful you finally had one show up. Now don't be surprised if more don't show up. Rain missed us:( Good thing since I mowed the field and back lawn at the land today. Love that bed!!

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    1. Hi Tina.....we had lots of rain yesterday and last night! Turns out Beasley isn't feral because last evening hubby and I were able to pet "her" (confirmed that) and she is just a lovey-dovey. She came up on the porch and hubby sat out there with her for quite a while. Of course we put a blanket and her food and water there. Hopefully she will stay around and we will take her to the vet. Now I'm just hoping she is healthy because I know what you went through!!! Haven't seen her this morning, but hoping she shows up!

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  6. Oh so many flowers, so many colors. I love them all...especially lilies. I think I would park my but in one of that benches and never get it up again. and the bed...laughed so hard! Such a great idea! Love everything ♥

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    1. Hi Leanan...thank you so much!! I'm so glad you liked the bed-bed. I think it adds a great touch of whimsy!! So glad you stopped by today!

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  7. Love the Flower Bed and Quilt! What a wonderful idea of the dust ruffle...
    Good luck with taming kitty. Food, Time and trust are all you need...

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    1. Hi Skeeter...thanks so much! Next year I will probably tweak the flowers a bit in the bed, but for the first time I think it came out pretty good! Last night hubby and I were able to pet on Beasley for quite a while. She seems very tame so someone probably dumped her. However, we haven't seen her yet today. I hope she shows up! Thanks for visiting.

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  8. I loved it all, but was especially struck by Red Rum, which was my mother's favorite daylily and therefore of great sentimental value to me. A few years ago, when age forced her to move out of her house, I bought her some as a reminder of the fantastic garden she had left behind. The punchline is that when they bloomed, she didn't like the color and didn't remember that they had been a favorite. Oh well! I still like them, and yours look great.

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    1. Hi Sarah....I'm so glad my post reminded you of a special memory. Red Rum is a very pretty Daylily! Thank you so much for stopping by!

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  9. Your bed turned out beautifully. It is a cute idea the lattice for the dust ruffle. The garden is full in bloom too which looks grand. We are weeks behind you and my lilies will probably bloom when I am gone. Right now there is a lot of them too. Loved your garden tour.

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    1. Hi Donna...thank you so much for your nice comments! We were very happy with how the bed turned out. I'll probably tweak the flowers next year, but I know in Fall I will plant the entire thing with Violas because they last until mid-spring here. I'm also going to plant Asiatic Lilies in the new front beds since they don't have any yet. I'm so glad you stopped by to see the garden today!!

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  10. Now that is a real garden bed! Your garden is filled with interesting focal points and beautiful plants.There seems to be so much joy there!

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    1. Hi Deb....that is one of the nicest comments I've ever received! I think the garden IS filled with a lot of joy and love!! I've tried to make it "comfortable" and casual. Somewhere where anyone would enjoy relaxing and looking at the flowers and watching the wildlife. Thanks so much for the nice comments and for visiting my garden today!

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  11. What a wonderful display of blooming flowers! I am hoping that my garden will look one day as gorgeous as yours, at least in a tiny bit...

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    1. Hi Aga....I'm so glad you visited my blog!! I appreciate your nice comments. I looked at your blog and your flowers look just beautiful! I hope you continue to visit my garden!

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  12. I love surprises! Your new bed with quilt is beautiful! I've seen old bed frames used in gardens before, but this is the most creative use of one I've seen. So many lovely blooms, Christy; it must be difficult for you to spend any time indoors. If Beasley knows what's good for him, he'll stick around--sounds like he's found the perfect home.

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    1. Hi Rose...thank you so much! I really appreciate your nice comments! I'm glad you like the bed..I think it turned out pretty good. Beasley turned out to be a little girl. I believe she is living under the air conditioner and she's not feral. She's beginning to trust us more and more and we sit on the porch and pet on her. This morning she was actually on the porch when I looked out, so that's a very good sign. Once we've gained her complete trust, (a week or so), we will take her to the vet and I just hope she doesn't have any cat diseases because she's already got a piece of my heart...she's such a little sweetie!! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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  13. Your garden is so beautiful! So much to enjoy and look at! The flower bed is so fun and I can't wait to see it when the flowers cascade over the sides! Gorgeous photographs!
    Miss Bloomers

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    1. Hi Sonia...thank you so much! I can't wait for the flowers to cascade over the sides either...I've been waiting quite a while now! Next year I will chose a different flower that will "cascade" better...live and learn in gardening! I really appreciate you stopping by today!

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  14. Christy-your gardens are full of color with such a nice variety of blooms especially the lilies. Love your little surprise at the end-such fun! You have given the term "flower bed" a whole new meaning!

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    1. Hi Lee...thanks so much! Yes, we now have a flower bed-bed :-) Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. Hello. Love that bed. You did a great job. Sorry the spring freezes kept it back.
    The Cha Cha Cha Coresopsis is great. Love how it's so airy.

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    1. Hi GoSS...thank you so much. I think once the really hot weather comes the Petunias will go crazy, then in fall I'll plant it with Violas which will last until next spring! That Coreopsis is one of my favorites!

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  16. Not half as much as what is happening in your garden...just amazing as it is in full bloom...mine is in full weed. That bed is amazing and I can't wait to see it as it grows in...

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    1. Hi Donna....We've had quite a bit of rain, so the weeds continue to grow and grow. Just yesterday I was looking around and thought "how did all these weeds grow so fast!!??" That's what I'm going to be doing today...but then more rain this afternoon! I will continue to post pix of the bed! Thank you for visiting the garden!

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  17. I can't believe how much you have blooming! Your 'flower bed' is wonderfully creative. Gravel beds will be much less maintenance. Can't complain there! Beautiful, as always. :o)

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    1. Hi...thank you so much! We finished the gravel path project Saturday and I think it looks so much better. Now there is distinction between the paths and the beds. I appreciate you stopping by!!

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  18. Everything looks amazing, Christy, really gorgeous. What a fabulous addition that bed is, I can't wait to see it when it matures and the plants are falling over the sides.

    I love your other new addition too, I hope kitty hangs around and makes his home with you :-))

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    1. Hi Paula....thank you so much!! Because of all the rain the Petunias in the bed-bed aren't looking too good. Next year I think I'll plant something different. Beasley (kitty) did decide to stay. We will take her to the vet in the next few days. We also had a stray dog turn up....a Great Pyrenees!! Boy oh boy...I've got a zoo here!! Thank you for stopping by!

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  19. Hi, Christy! I am SO envious of your large garden area!! Especially the lilies!! We moved last year from a large property, that was filled with my many flowers, to our small lake cottage. So I don't have the room to grow a big garden like I had. The lakefront view more than made up for it, but when I saw your garden,it made me miss it again! By the way, thanks for stopping over and commenting on my blog recently! Enjoy your summer!!!
    Ann @ Cairn Cottage (http://cairncottage.blogspot.com)

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    1. Hi Ann....thanks so much! It would be hard to leave all my flowers and gardens, but living on a lake sounds very inviting. Your cottage is adorable and you have some really nice plants!! Thanks for visiting!

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  20. It sounds like you have been adopted. If you keep the kitten, you will have to show us all a few more pictures. Is Beasly solid colored grey? There is no shortage of blooms in your garden. I am always on the lookout for a pretty daylily and quite like the "Red Rum" Daylily. Where did you find your flowerbed?

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    1. Hi Jennifer....Red Rum always produces. I have some other really nice Daylilies that haven't opened yet...I'll post more pictures soon! We found the head/foot boards for the bed in the basement of an antique store. My hubby made the "mattress" portion of the bed. Beasley decided to stay. She is black, grey and white (Tabby). She's such a loving kitty. We also had a stray dog turn up......a great Pyrenees!!! I'll do a future post on her too. So glad you stopped by!

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  22. Oh gosh, I love the planted bed! What a great idea! Everything looks so healthy. I've never seen those 'Rocky Top' Coneflowers before--nifty! Your rock gardens and rock pathways are fantastic, and the benches pull it all together. Very nice!

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    1. Hello and thank you so much!! I really appreciate your comments. This past weekend we completed our path project which was changing all the mulch in the paths to gravel. I think it looks so much better. I'll post pix soon. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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  23. I love your floriferous bed! And all your flowers. Your garden reminds me that there are sunny summer days. In my garden we are having lots of rainy cold summer days. I am writing this next to the woodstove. We did brave the first early morning shower in order to plant my new Alabama Crimson honeysuckle that I bought last week at Nasami Farm. I think we are promised sun after these latest 2 days of rain.

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    1. Hi there....thanks so much! Yes, we are having some sun, but we've had lots of rain this year too. I think between the sun and the rain, the garden is going crazy! I hope you get some sun soon and I can't wait to see the new Honeysuckle!! So glad you could stop by today!!

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  24. I'm taking notes! Your garden is looking fabulous. So many blooms. Love the quilt bed - especially the white "pillows". Changing your paths to gravel must be a lot of hard work, but will be so worth it. I love to hear the crunch of gravel under my feet.

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    1. Hello and thanks for your nice comments! The quilt bed is doing pretty good, but I think next year I'll use different flowers. The Petunias just don't look very good after it rains, and we've had lots of rain this year.....but it's live and learn! We completed the gravel path project in about nine hours. My hubby shoveled and wheelbarrowed just shy of 15,000 pounds of gravel. I had it easy...I just put down the weed fabric and raked the gravel piles into the paths. I think "the look" is much better because it's easier to differentiate between path and bed. I'm so glad you stopped by today!

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  28. Hi Christy, your garden looks absolutely stunning in June! It is amazing to me how much it has matured in a relative short amount of time. And all the flowers, what can I say, just mind boggling. I have a question on the 9th photo from the top (bench with white flowering shrub to the right) is this a white flowering rose? And if so, which variety is that? I looks just fabulous.
    Christina

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  29. Christy... this is one of several tests as I can't seem to get my comments to take on your site... Larry

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  30. Ah... there we go! Your garden looks wonderful and your enthusiasm for it shines through in your posts... love the 'orangy' asiatic... is it "Graffiti". If so, it's an amazing cultivar and I've had blooms to 13" in diameter. Actually, Graffiti may be more of a yellow hue but this plant looks like it could keep pace with the one I've mentioned... well back to the gardens... we try to get at it by 5:00 a.m. each morning, especially now that the humidity has hit our area... take care, Larry

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  31. I came to your blog by way of Plant Postings "Lesson's Learned" meme. We share a passion for gardening for wildlife. Your summer garden looks fabulous and is definitely welcoming to pollinators. Your garden bed is a great addition!

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  32. I love how you use the bed to make it literally a "flower bed". You do have a lovely garden.

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  33. You have so.o.o many blooms, Christy. Your garden is amazing! Love your quilt. P. x

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  34. Hi Christy!
    We're going to create hypertufa pots next weekend too!
    What recepie did you use?

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  35. Hi Christy,
    I'm new to your blog. Your flowerbeds are amazing! I don't know what I like best but your flower"bed" is very cool. Looking forward to more pics as it matures.
    Sally

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  36. Is everything ok? You haven't posted in months. :(

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  37. Yes yes it's all good. And your approach to a cat adoption is also good. Very good for the sake of the bluebirds and their kin....:)

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