June in the Garden

June is certainly one of the best months in the garden for perennial blooms. As much as I love to garden and enjoy a wide range of different plants in the yard, I'm not one of those gardeners who looks for a challenge. I don't need to grow that oh-so-rare variety that needs to be coddled and cared for. Instead, I'm always on the lookout for the tried and true that will give me the most bang for my buck--and time. As I'm planting in my garden for the 19th year, I thought I'd make a note of some of my favorites.

One of the oldest plants in my garden has to be the False Indigo. Now this is my kind of plant. It's durable, long-lived, and is a reliable bloomer year after year. Never snub a plant that's virtually maintenance free and still gives such beautiful color in the flower bed. (The catmint behind it falls in that category as well, but it takes a little more effort to reign in its tendency to spread around the garden. Still, worth it.)

Another plant that is easy to grow, once it's established, is the Gas Plant or Dictamnus albus, if you aren't partial to its common name. Allegedly, this plant gives off enough of a volatile gas that on a warm, humid evening you can ignite it simply by holding a match near the bloom. I can't say that I've ever tried it, but it is a pungent plant. If you brush against it when you're weeding, it gives off a strong lemony scent.

Just like the False Indigo, this is also a plant that likes to go in the ground and be left alone, so find a spot where it can stay for the long haul.

That goes for one of my all-time favorites in the garden as well--the peonies. In just a few day's time, these plump buds are going to burst into the most fragrant, gorgeous blooms. I will always love the peonies that are from my Grandma's garden, but I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to seeing the first blossoms from the 'Sarah Bernhardt' variety that I planted in the row a couple of years ago.

The long, warm days keep me from making as much progress as I'd like on my knitting. Those last few inches on the sleeves of my Must Have Cardigan took longer than I thought that they might, but eventually I cast them off and had the pieces of my sweater blocking in the afternoon sun. During last night Twins' game, I finished off one-half of the sweater and tried it on the best I could to see if I should continue, and it looks like it's going to fit perfectly. I guess I'll have a new sweater waiting for me this fall.