Jump into June

Jump into June!

“In June as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them.”
– Aldo Leopold

June is truly the month of surprise and renewal in a garden. As Aldo Leopold wrote, buds will be bursting all around. This is a time of growth and of enjoying so many plants as they come into bloom. Perennials are like old friends as they return to us each spring and early summer. We honor them with surprise and smile as they greet us year after year. As I walk through my own gardens I see the familiar irises from my dad, the lovely old scotch rose that once stood at my Grandmothers front stoop, and all those treasured memories come back. June is a good month to appreciate all that is growing.

This year, especially, we will enjoy those warm days that have finally arrived. June jumped in and gave us warmth and sunshine. The gardens know it is their time to come to life with all kinds of new growth. With all of this beauty, we as gardeners must still tend to the business of gardening: The business of caring for our perennial gardens and of planting bright colorful annuals to sparkle all season long among the beds. To each enthusiastic gardener June is the month of beginnings.

Perhaps you are thinking about adding a new garden in your yard. To many of us, more gardens mean less mowing. Not a bad thing in the world of a flower girl like me. A good suggestion is when opening a new piece of garden amend your soil. In Dakota County that means add as much compost as you can. Great organic matter such as compost builds your soil into a beautiful texture for planting. I was once told that you can put a hundred dollar plant into poor soil and it is worth very little. The reverse is true in that if you put an inexpensive plant in great soil you have a treasure. Such wisdom makes for successful gardening. I also go by the old rule of putting the right plant in the right place. That is to know your plants requirements and to put the plant where it has just what it needs to do best. As gardeners, we all learn that plants are very smart about where they really like to be planted. If we learn about them and know what they need we can have success and enjoyment in whatever we plant.

I also think of June as the month my hardy shrub roses truly love. This is the time they begin their heaviest bloom and their fragrance fills the air. How can something that looks like a dead stick all through the winter come to life with such enthusiasm? That’s June for roses! If you have a good sunny area in your garden, give hardy shrub roses a try.
As June eases her way into summer your gardens will be in full glory. This is truly the month of the biggest changes in most gardens. In June we make our way from cool to warm, from small to big, and from green to a rainbow of color. Each garden is as unique as each gardener. Aren’t we lucky to enjoy all those changes June brings to our world? I say, get ready and “Jump into June!”