This time of year, most of my blog entries are about gardening, or needing to garden, or needing rain, or having too much rain.  Nothing has changed.  I started work on the gardens at the sidewalk at the front of the house.  I cut back Iris stalks, and planted two purple fountain grasses.  I planted some Black-Eyed Susan vine seeds  between the grasses and set a tutor over them, so they’ll have support.

About 20 years ago my brother gave my mother an immense planting that had vinca in it.  We set it near the front sidewalk gardens, and the vinca reached out for the dirt and made itself at home. Each year it creeps out and tries to take over a little more of the garden, and I keep clipping it back.  THIS year, I cut it back to a patch about 18″ x 18″.  I rooted out most of the vinca, but I know it will be back.  In the dirt that I uncovered I planted cleome and alyssum seeds.  It’s about two weeks to a month late to be planting seeds, but I’ll take what I can get!

I need to cut back peonies and sweet William.  There’s an infestation of Bouncing Bet in the lower driveway garden, and one of clover in the sidewalk gardens.   There are more iris to cut back, and eventually, daffodil greens and chives to cut.   I plan to just keep hacking away at what needs to be done.

I was reading a book called “The Curious Gardener,” which talks about chores that need to be done month by month in English gardens.  I’m really glad that my gardens are fairly simple.  The list of chores took three pages in the book!

We’re celebrating Father’s Day a day early so that the “kids” can have Sunday to themselves.  I’m going to start the morning with deadheading, and then relax at a nice dinner out!  The perfect balance of work and leisure.  Happy Father’s Day to you all!