Well it’s finally warming up. And after a week of crazy and dangerous thunderstorms, I think we are moving toward summer. The days are warmer but the nights are still lovely and cool for the most part which I am very happy about.

As the weather warms up my gardening patterns change. I do more early. Sunscreen is always on now and I’m trying to remember to wear a hat as I have a Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer from my face coming up. So I have a big to do list before I am sidelined for a few days.

This morning I took care of the feeding and care of 19 of my 21 roses. Yes we are at 21 now because of the two Claire Austins I planted. My initial feed/disease/bug treatment was done with a granular. I use the Bayer 3 in 1 granules for roses and flowers. Now that it is warming up I have switched to the liquid version which I applied as a drench.

I also did some deadheading and some shrub trimming. There is always something that needs to be trimmed. Earlier this week it was the giant wigelia. Today it was other shrubs and things that exist on a border between myself and a neighboring property. Sort of a no man’s land of annoying shrubs. I also discovered a burning bush which I cut down.

Tomorrow I will begin to move onto the azaleas now that they finished blooming, and the dogwood shrubs. I am also going to give the Miss Kim lilacs a little haircut, and the lilacs I planted in the back are now big enough that they can get a slight trim.

Last week’s storms, called a Derecho, wreaked havoc on our area. I watched my giant trees twirl around like they were little saplings, but they held. This is why you do routine tree work with a good arborist.

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Ironically, although I thought I survived without any damage, there is some damage to a side garden. There were these trash trees that were covered in invasive bittersweet vine in between our property and another neighboring property. I had actually eyeballed them for removal at some point this year. And that was mainly because these trees were more bittersweet than actual tree. Well, now these half down trees are partially on top of rhododendrons I planted a few weeks ago. Yes crappers.

If you live near me, you know I use Treemendous Tree Care. I began using them when the arborist I had used when we first moved here moved out of the area. it was hard to find somebody that cared as much about trees as Bob who was our first arborist. Treemendous does. They are amazing and knowledgeable. They do my pruning, emergency work, maintenance, and tree healthcare. I know they will also plant trees for customers but I haven’t needed that I came with woods and the saplings I plant every year I can take care of.

👉🏻(And just so we are crystal clear I am just a regular customer of Treemendous. I don’t get any special favors I don’t get any compensation for referring them. If I refer someone it’s because they did work on our property and we were pleased. That is the beginning and end of the story.)👈🏻

I need to get the tree damage cleaned up because of course I had a whole bunch of native shade perennials arrive the other day. They can’t go in the ground until the storm debris is removed.

The peonies with the exception of one Itoh which was a very late bloomer are done. In the fall I am going to plant a couple of new tree peonies and I am also going to move my sorbet peonies because they are becoming root crowded by the viburnum in the same bed. I might actually move one before the fall because I am afraid it will get drowned out this summer. And yes I have a spot for it.

The roses are magnificent this year. There is no other way to phrase it. This is the year that I remembered why I love roses so much. They are a lot of work at times but the beauty and the fragrance in the garden bring so much joy.

With the exception of a floribunda named Queen Elizabeth, and one very small ailing JFK hybrid tea, the majority of my roses are David Austins. I have also added a few old garden roses. A Bourban, a Portland, and rugosas and one found rose from Antique Rose Emporium called Caldwell Pink.

Also a reminder that your porch/front door area is both an extension of your garden and your home.

Anyway that’s it for me today!

Happy gardening!