How I became a sustainable gardening advocate!

JUNE

I’m looking forward to spending long weekends at the beach this summer, but I cannot deny that spring and fall are preferred. I’m not a fair-weathered beachgoer; I’m in it for the lifestyle.

As I read back on last year’s June post, I was happy to read the following, “I’ve been working like a madwoman to get the garden to a pure maintenance state! I think I’m there.” And I am there, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work to do. At least now, it’s easier to manage.

And while I have it easier to be in the garden, my husband is just gearing up. We had a termite problem in the back. It would appear we had a leaky hose, leaking water into the crawlspace, creating the perfect environment for termites to house and feed. It will be no easy feat. He estimates he needs to dig out 100 wheel barrels of dirt. He says he needs to change the slope, for one, and also to expose the sill plate. This bottom foundation board is where the termites are feeding. We need to dry it out.

I’m trying something different this year, managing the swamp sunflowers, Helianthus angustifolius. The fall pollen and nectar are essential features for the wildlife needed an extra boost the prepare for the winter. The plant itself is too tall and gangly for my landscape. Over the years, I’ve cut the stems back to about half in June, and while I ended up with a shorter and stocker plant, they were still too tall for my liking. I cut them to the ground as I worked in the raspberry/muscadine bed in early May. I’ll be curious to see what they do this year.

Click HERE to learn more about the pipevine swallowtail!

**The Back 40 (ft)** North to South—As I readied for a tour group, I covered the spring herbaceous cutbacks with pine straw, as is my habit I’m letting this area rest for a while. The new compost area is on the Southside where the hardy kiwi use to be.

Back 40 (ft.) Detail. Art by Marina Bosetti.

*Magnolia yuyuanensis* gifted to me by Dr. Dirr

The Back 40 (ft) South to North—Direct sowed cosmo seeds. I’m unsure they will germinate, but I thought I would experiment since the Back 40 (ft.) is a no-work zone.

**Gazebo Corner—**The confederate jasmine, *Trachelospermum jasminoides*, is blooming!

The Epimedium Patch—The plants I placed in March are filling out nicely.

The Wildflower Patch Extension—Celedine Poppy, *Stylophorum diphyllum*

Amaryllis and a ceramic totem. I purchased the art from Niche Gardens, decades ago. Sadly, it’s the one artist in my collection I don’t know.

The Wildflower Patch—

The Southside—The Southern Magnolia tree has now disappointed me. Ha! The leaves are falling at a rate that I can keep up! Many of the raked leaves go into the yard waste can, and many others in the open area of the Southside.

I had a garden group stop by on May 18th, so I did a final rake and then covered it with pine straw. I’m hoping the bulk of the leaves has fallen, but what does land on the pine straw will at least blend in. This is a tree we plan to remove for a couple of reasons. For one, it was poorly sited; it’s too close to the house, and two, we hope to put in solar, and the evergreen tree is blocking out the southern sun.