June greetings fellow gardeners and nature enthusiasts,

Admittedly, I am a bit late getting this month’s blog off; I’ve been consumed with trying to get ahead in this game of gardening. What was I thinking, for goodness’ sake? Not gonna happen, girl, so stop fretting.

Today, June 12, I’m getting one of my niche gardens ready for one plant each of straight neck summer squash, “Raven” zucchini, and “Salmon” zucchini (new one for me). Yup, that’s plenty of zucchini for me! Three varieties of pole beans are poking through their cell packs and will be ready for transplanting only too soon. At least the double-stacked 16’ trellis is ready for them. Later this summer, my niche canna lily garden will sport four 5’ tall plants with luscious red blooms and giant tropical foliage (bulbs shared from a customer). I shall have it bordered by a dozen mixed mini marigolds no later than tonight. Hummingbirds will frequent the flowers, and chickadees will dart into the foliage for cover while waiting their turn in the very busy birdbath. So fun to watch.

Even though cold rain and wind lingered into June’s beginning, some plants withstood the test in fine fashion. Onions and garlic look exceptionally fine. The first planting of potatoes is growing like weeds and is bug-free so far. Perennial herbs are at their peak right now. I use them fresh and dried all year long. Take a gander at my lemon thyme. Not only is it delicious in many of my recipes, but doesn’t it make a beautiful border? Other plants are also shining this time of year. My maidenhair fern is exquisite. And the woodland Kousa dogwood is still putting on a fine show. And that stretch of rhododendrons I mentioned earlier? Glorious!

Let’s see, what could be happening with the ever-present critters these days? Well, Gene had every intention of getting the deer tape put up around the main garden, hadn’t quite gotten to it, and you probably already have guessed what happened as a result. A 6-point buck early in the morning three days ago moseyed right down the rows of delectable peas, chowing down the top half of every plant. No more flowers, no more developing pods. He got his butt stung, and we haven’t seen him since. We got that tape up fast, though! Lesson here: don’t get lackadaisical just because a howling pack of coyotes by night, assumed to be a made-to-order deterrent, certainly is not!

*Rhododendrons looking glorious this year!*

Nonetheless, wonder is all around us. While relaxing on the porch with a cup of coffee the other morning, Gene and I couldn’t quite believe what was happening before our overwhelmed eyes. Within a single sighting, a sapphire-donned male bluebird flitted into the mealworm feeder while a male oriole, in striking orange and midnight black plumage, flashed down from the sassafras for a tongue-full of“Birdberry Jelly”. At the same time six male fire-engine-red cardinals winged full speed ahead, chasing each other in valiant competition to secure territorial dominance. They kept flying loop-de-loops (not kidding) around a 60’ stretch of 45-year-old rhododendrons (the rhodies themselves in full blaze of color). Throw in the couple of fly-by male goldfinch, and those incredible goings-on were more than a sight to behold.

As you can tell, we love our birds. From chuckling at parents teaching their young the ropes to marveling at our swallows swooping through an emerging hatch of airborne insects, we are mesmerized. At times, we can feel and hear their wing beats. What could be better?

Before I sign off, I’d like to leave you with some June considerations:

Remove garlic pigtails (the curled flower stalks). Don’t waste them; they are marvelous in stir-fries. Removal allows energy to go into bulb production. I will give one last weak application of hydrolyzed fish fertilizer to both garlic and onions in the next couple of days. Make sure this is done by June 21.
Apply Holly-tone or other acid-loving fertilizer to blueberries and evergreens no later than the end of June.
Be prepared for extremes- too hot and then too cold, too wet and then too dry. Mulching helps to moderate these conditions.
Make sure plants have the support they need. Wind can be devastating to growing plants. Too many cloudy, rainy, or smoke-filled days can cause plants to stretch for sunlight. Support becomes essential.
Fertilize veggies with a natural fertilizer 2-3 times throughout the growing season.
Pay close attention to insect and disease problems that crop up this month, and treat accordingly. I observe first and then apply the appropriate natural product at the very start of a problem. That is with one exception. Tomatoes. They are my nemesis, and I have to start a preventable program right now by spraying with a conventional fungicide (Fung-o-nil) every 10 to 14 days, depending on weather. Otherwise, I will end up with diseased plants that produce only a small amount of poor-quality fruit. And I need lots of tomatoes.
Try to eliminate weeds, whether in the veggie garden or anywhere else, when they are small and manageable. Huh? Easier said than done!
Now through mid-July is the time to apply conventional annual grub control to lawns.
Lastly, tune into periodic promotions on our website. Our very creative Claire has fun with this. Look for her “little guy”!
Please note that we will be closed for vacation July 1st through July 15th. We open again at 9 am, Wednesday, July 16th. Stock up now for all your garden and animal needs. And make sure to…

Take time to smell the roses! That’s it for now.

Judy

June 2025 Musings

Nashua Farmers’ Exchange