JUNE IS BUSTIN' OUT ALL OVER!

 By Caroline Clemmons

We re-watched the musical "Oklahoma" last night. Now I keep singing (to myself because I'm a terrible singer) "June is bustin' out all over..." I love that song. Actually, I love all the songs in that movie. The voices of Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones blended beautifully. (You have to love Ado Annie's two songs, "I Cain't Say No" and "All or Nothin'.")

I have a few questions for the producers, though. Why did they cast Eddie Albert as the Arab peddler, Ali Hakim? Were there no dark-haired men available who could act? I loved Eddie Albert as an actor, especially in his television series "Green Acres," but he was too old and too white to play the part of the Persian peddler. He must have had a terrific agent.

Peace Rose

I digressed. June IS busting out all over. I don't care for hot weather, but I do love flowers. We have beautiful roses this year. Roses are my favorite flower. We don't really have a good place for them, but Hero found space for three: Peace, Pink Fragrance, and Mr. Lincoln. It's true that little things mean a lot. I appreciate him managing to dig the flower bed, edge it with bricks, plant the roses, and keep them lovely. When you consider he has advanced Parkinson's, you can understand how hard this was for him. See why I call him Hero?

Mr. Lincoln Rose

Pink Fragrance Rose

The bad part of June is the insects. In spite of the fact that we have barley rings in the bird baths, I have mosquito bites. I'm serious when I say if there's one anywhere within a block of me, the little creature will pass by others to find me. Perhaps A- blood type is a favorite dessert for mosquitoes. Grumble, grumble. We are trying to attract bees and butterflies. Hero planted a dozen butterfly bushes.

I enjoy our neighborhood. The other houses on our block have neat lawns--at least the ones I can see easily. I enjoy looking at all the trees, shrubbery, grass, and flowers. Nothing here is as spectacular as Beth Trissel's gardens, but she is unique. I'll wager some of you also have lovely flowers in bloom. Put a photo in the comments if you can. If not, tell me your favorite flower. As I said above, mine is a rose.

Geranium in a hanging basket

Stay safe and keep reading!

No Two Days In the Garden Are The Same

(Spring blooming old English rose)

'Flowers really do intoxicate me.' ~Vita Sackville-West

The garden, in its magical wonder, constantly and continuously changes. So quickly the hours flow into days, then weeks, and months. Seasons pass. From the first cheery crocus spangling the dreary February landscape to the cherished chrysanthemums hailing a brilliant autumn, a succession of flowers take center stage to enchant, then fade, their time spent. If I've planned correctly, new blooms will appear in their place, and I won't have gaps. A short while ago, the roses were magnificent, and I reveled in their silken blossoms, white and peachy-pink petals fluttering to the ground like snowflakes in the breeze. Now that first long-awaited flush is past and only a few plants are left in bloom. The roses will revive for another riotous color fest, but the despised Japanese beetles are arriving and will plague the plants and me for weeks to come. Any gardener not suffering this scourge should rejoice daily. 

(Climbing Ballerina Rose)

During the dratted beetle season, I look to the lilies for glory, and they do not disappoint. The oriental lilies scent the garden with sweet perfume and tree lilies stretch to amazing heights. I'm lily mad and forever planting new bulbs. They're rather like Easter eggs, in that I hide them and await discovery, particularly as I often forget what kind I planted and where they were tucked. Plus, one of the online bulb companies sent me potluck instead of what I thought I'd ordered. Adds to the surprise, I suppose. I really must pay more attention to who sent what if I want to complain, but I know I didn't order knee-high yellow lilies. Not that they aren't pretty, but not what I intended. A whole lot like life. 

I do what I usually do, forge ahead and try again. 

(Forever Susan Lily)

I did nothing but comfort my plants, till now their small green cheeks are covered with smiles. ~Emily Dickinson, 1865

(Gaillardia with bee on it)

(Bee balm with bumble bee)

The bees are summer-busy every sunny afternoon... ~Hal Borland

(Cream Veranda Rose)

(Fragrant Tree Lily)

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers, where I can walk undisturbed... ~Walt Whitman

(Oriental Lily)

Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

Autumn is Finally Here

(Glorious dahlia)

After suffering a hot, humid September (and summer), I've enjoyed a reprieve as this month draws to a close. October promises far cooler temps, ideal for getting outdoors. I have a number of perennials to transplant and bulbs to get in the ground so this is a gardener's boon. I love crisp fall days and wish they lasted longer. If I took a vote, I imagine I could get a consensus on that, tough to do these days, with all the vehement dissension. 

(Carding Mill Rose)

For the most part, I've found gardeners to be an easy group to get along with. Although, debating the best method for making compost can get heated, and organic gardening verses non-organic... Don't go there. Other than that... And now, it seems I'm also a rosarian, which sounds pretty cool. Speaking of, my roses are deliriously happy in the cooler sunlight. Neither of us liked the sweltering heat. 

(Apricot Rose)

The dahlias have gone crazy with color. My earlier attempts to stake and tie the plants have failed and they are tumbled everywhere but don't seem to mind. I keep saying dahlias are too much work, digging up the tubers after frost and storing them over the winter. Then they bring brilliant life to the late season garden and leave me concluding they're worth the effort. Some gardeners suggest skipping all that work and treating dahlias as annuals. That goes against my nature. I am a plant saver. The notion of letting them freeze and rot seems wrong. 

(Another reason to plant dahlias )

My amazing great Uncle Houston grew dahlias. I managed to lose the ones he gave me one winter from improper storage and bad luck. When I see mine blooming now, I think of this dear man. He also grew roses, much loved by him, and lilies. I'm following in his footsteps.

(Dwarf  dahlia really attracts bees and butterflies)

Signs of fall are underway in the Shenandoah Valley with early leaf change and more will soon follow. I'll report back. 

Roses Roses

If you follow me on Facebook, or anywhere else, you will know that I love roses. I am sharing a rose post from the past and hope you enjoy it.

Excerpt from my herbal, Plants for a Medieval Herb Garden in the British Isles,

(Old fashioned rosebud)

The English Tudor Rose is the heraldic floral emblem of England. The red rose was the badge of the House of Lancaster during the English War of the Roses. The badge for the House of York was the white rose. When Henry V11 took the crown of England from Richard 111 in battle, 1485, he ended that particular war. He introduced the Tudor rose, combining a red rose, representing the House of Lancaster, and a white rose, representing the House of York, as a symbol of unity after the English civil wars of the 15th century which later came to be called the Wars of the Roses.

The exact species of the Lancaster’s Red Rose is uncertain, but it’s thought to be Rosa gallica officinalis, also known as the Apothecary’s Rose, possibly the first cultivated rose. We used to have this ancient variety, but it finally succumbed to a hard winter and needs to be replaced.

Rosa gallica officinalis

“My wild Irish Rose,

The sweetest flow'r that grows.” ~Chauncey Olcott

I have an old-time rosebud salve that I love made by the American based Rosebud Perfume Company, founded in 1895 by George F. Smith. They still carry the original salve but have expanded their product line; all are gluten-free, a plus for those of us who are severely intolerant.

Roses have an ancient history. The first cultivated rose likely originated in Persia and spread out from there. The part used is the flower, although the hips are also employed in tea, jam, jellies, syrups... The hips are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Some varieties of roses produce better hips for this use than others. Rosa canina, commonly known as the dog rose, is one that does.

Back to the flowers. The most favored rose for medicinal use is the above mentioned dark red rose, R. gallica, also known as the Provins Rose and the Apothecary’s Rose. Only flower-buds just about to open are collected, and the lighter colored lower portion is cut off from the deep red upper part. For making a confection, they are used in the fresh state. For an infusion, the flowers are thoroughly dried first and stored out of humidity.

(Abraham Darby Rose from my garden. A David Austin rose.)

The old pink cabbage rose is used for making rose water by distilling the fresh petals. A soothing ointment of rose water (cold cream) is also made by blending melted wax and almond oil with rose-water and rose oil.

Culpepper gives many uses for red, white, and damask rose cordials and conserves in the treatment of internal maladies including fever, jaundice, joint aches, weakness of the heart and stomach, fainting, an aid to digestion and fighting infection, comforting the heart and strengthening the spirit. Rose ointment is recommended for most any skin condition.

In his 18th century Family Herbal, John Hill gives a recipe for Honey of Roses that sounds delightful. He specifies using red roses. And I doubt he means modern cultivars, but old.

Honey of Roses Recipe: “Cut the white heels from some red rose buds, and lay them to dry in a place where there is a draught of air; when they are dried, put half a pound of them into a stone jar, and pour on them three pints of boiling water; stir them well, and let them stand twelve hours; then press off the liquor (liquid) and when it has settled, add to it five pounds of honey; boil it well, and when it is of the consistence of thick syrup, put it by for use. It is good against mouth sores, and on many other occasions.” (Which means it has many other uses.)

(More David Austin Roses from the garden).

Nonfiction Herbal

Plants for a Medieval Herb Garden in the British Isles available in kindle and print at Amazon.

An illustrated collection of plants that could have been grown in a Medieval Herb or Physic Garden in the British Isles. The major focus of this work is England and Scotland, but also touches on Ireland and Wales. Information is given as to the historic medicinal uses of these plants and the rich lore surrounding them.

Journey back to the days when herbs figured into every facet of life, offering relief from the ills of this realm and protection from evil in all its guises.~

“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” ― Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Does God Use Roses to Deliver His Messages? -- Laurean Brooks

Revised from Original post on April 14, 2012

Roses seem to be harbingers in my life. Let me explain: My in-law’s rose bush flourished every summer. Fragrant pink blooms had covered it. After the blooming season in 1994, my mother-in-law passed away.

                            ***************

The following summer, 1995, a single rose appeared. This was the only bloom the entire summer. Was God giving us a sign? Did this solitary rose represent my sweet mother-in-law who had joined Him in heaven?

The next summer, 1996, a solitary rose appeared again, in May, soon after my father-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer. I couldn't help wondering what it meant.

Less than two months later, on July 1, my father-in-law passed. After the funeral, I thought about the rose bush. When I checked it, I could hardly believe my eyes! Another pink rose flaunted itself next to the other bloom. Two people who dearly loved one another were reunited forever.

My husband and I now live one hill over from his parents' home place. Our yard is also graced with a rose bush. It conveniently blooms the week before Mother's Day. I can pick my mom a bouquet for the occasion. 

This year a strange thing occurred. During the second week of April, one beautiful rose appeared high on the bush.

I contemplated what the early rose meant. Was someone dear to me about to pass? I checked the bush the following day. Still, the one rose remained

Two days later I read the news online that my sweet soul sister and author,  Sharon Donovan had passed away. I was heartbroken. Sharon was a treasure and an inspiration to all who knew her. We instantly bonded, sharing our joys and tears.

Legally blind by the age of 25 from complications of diabetes, Sharon did not let her disability stop her. She pursued her dream of becoming an author by tackling and utilizing a special computer program that read the typed words back to her. Within five years, Sharon had several published romance novels to her credit.

The week following Sharon’s April 13th passing, my rosebush stood in full bloom, the once solitary bloom now surrounded by many others. I believe God sent the solitary rose to comfort me and to let me know Sharon had joined Him in heaven
But, what did the surrounding roses signify? Did these new blooms represent Sharon's friends--the ones her sweetness and generosity touched while she dwelt among us? Through encouragement and love, she blessed so many.


Sharon Donovan, after all these years, I still miss you. But I can't quench the thrill you when I imagine you with perfect eyesight exploring the awesome wonders of heaven. You loved roses. I can visualize your eyes opening wide at the sight of gorgeous flowers, streets of gold, and the crystal sea. Beauty beyond compare. A place no sickness, no pain, and no tears can dwell. Where only love, pure joy, and laughter exist until eternity.

April 18, 2020 Note: The rose bush still blooms the week before Mother’s Day. My mother received her last bouquet from it in 2018, four months before she passed. I wonder if Mama and Sharon are enjoying one another’s company in heaven. I believe, if they've met, they have become fast friends.

I’m not sure why God uses roses to relay messages to me. But it’s past mid-April again, and I am keeping a wary eye on that rose bush.

                        *******************
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June Has Busted Out All Over ~ by Judy Ann Davis

Sadly, the month of June is almost over.

It’s considered one of the favorite months brides choose for their weddings. Ironically, June 24, 1944, was my parent’s anniversary, and the day always brings nostalgic thoughts of them and what it might have been like to be married during World War II.

June is also my birthday month, and for me, it ushers in the beginning of summer and warmer, sun-drenched days ahead with fluffy clouds scudding along on the breeze in a baby blue sky.

The grass in the Central Pennsylvania farm fields is lush and taller than knee-high this year, thanks to our endless rains, and is ready for mowing. Once cut, the drying hay will fill the air with a sweet scent that mingles with the fragrances of many different emerging blossoms along the roadsides.

My favorite flowers is the rose which is also the flower of June. Although I was married in August, I chose white roses for my bridal bouquet.

Over the years, I’ve tried to grow them in my flowerbeds. I’ve tried climbing, bush, miniature, tea, hybrid, knock-out—and the list goes on and on. What our friendly deer don’t eat, the remainder dies from the cold, freezing winters here in the mountains.

I have only a clump of old-fashioned rag roses left, which I dug out from around the foundation of an old house on our family farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This hardy variety from the 1800s seems to be able to hold its own, despite the rabbits munching down the stalks under the snows.

If you have a favorite month of the year, please share it. If you have a favorite summer flower, I’d love to know what it might be. Have a wonderful summer ahead, and let's hope we won't have to duck between the raindrops the entire season!

WILLIE, MY LOVE
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