First Day of Summer

There were "heavenly fireworks" in the middle of the night.  At that time thought the not dear deer would not visit due to the fireworks.  I was wrong.  One also sampled the potato next to this sunflower.  Thankfully it left the bud, though other sunflower buds were gone.  There is netting around the sunflowers I purposely planted.

Surprised to see the currants needed harvesting.  More surprised to find so much spoilage. Thinking the high humidity contributed to spoilage.  Currants were planted here by my grandparents about 40 years ago.

Thankfully the high humidity contributed to another daily harvest of fresh greens:

Weeded the vegetable garden yesterday.  No sign of carrots sprouting.  Noticed this morning the high humidity and last night's storm contributed to germination.  Vegetable seeds I planted this year have been sparse in germinating and others attacked by insects.  Ended up purchasing squash plants last week.

This prickly pear will have lots of blooms this year.  Thank you for your gift, Ruby.

Didn't direct the clematis to go upward when I should have.  It's on top of the fence that surrounds the shrub next to it.  Some shrubs are fenced in due to unwelcome deer population.

First ditch day lily of the season.  A favorite.  Remember seeing them in the ditch on the way to school when I was a teenager.

Mom's gift of Dusty Miller is also in this bed.  Will be taking photos of the ditch lilies with lacy-looking dusty miller as the backdrop.

There's a rooster in the hen house this morning!  Neglected to take photos of the hens and chicks.

Foxgloves came from a friend's sister's garden in NJ.  They self-seed abundantly wherever but don't winter over abundantly here.  Common to see bees sleeping in these tubular flowers at dusk.

Common milkweed, a host plant for monarchs.  This flower's scent is pleasing.

Verbascum, known as a weed, but I think they're pretty so allow to grow wherever.

First single red poppy to bloom.  They have self-seeded in the hostas surrounding this pine tree.  Nature comes up with prettier bed fellows than I do.  Was thinking of something bold for this area but didn't want to provide more for the unwelcome garden guests.  Deer are not attracted to poppies.

Had previously sprayed this hosta after it was a midnight snack.  Thankfully wasn't chowed down last night.  These blooms will turn into thousands of seed pods that germinate prolifically.  

First Stella Dora day lily of the season.  (Reblooming)  Thank you, Lesley.

Begonias beginning to bloom.  Magical, though really a miracle, how they know when to sprout up after hibernating the winter in the basement.  Thank you, Ruby.

Rose campions (a biennial) have invaded many flower beds.  Will have zillions of seeds to share.

Though deer have chowed down many gloriosa daisies, they haven't found this one.

Last night heard the wrens causing a commotion.  Thought the neighbor's cats were about.  Didn't see any cats.  This morning when harvesting currants I realized the baby wrens had fledged last night.  The commotion was the parents guiding them.  The parents were corralling them next door this morning. A lot of wren clucking or chattering from the parents.  

Thought of this verse when heard the wren parents:

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds has come,

and the voice of the dove is heard in our land.

Song of Songs 2:12

How does your garden grow?