Did we ever get rain today!

I had been hoping for rain to give us some relief from a dry couple of weeks, and our current heat wave. Well, it rained, and how!

Creek banks flooding onto our property

Our little bridge across the creek under water

This was the scene following two and a quarter inches of torrential rain (and a bit of hail) that came down during the lunch hour. As always, the creek flooded and the lowest part of our property near the road is under water. By evening, it should be cleared, unless we get another thunderstorm.

The storm brought so much rain in such a short time that a road near us washed out in an area where they had just added a culvert and some gravel, but hadn't yet replaced the black-top paving. No damage here, but the petunias in my containers have been flattened. A small price to pay for much-needed rain, and they will perk up again.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

June blooms: we're in fragrance heaven

The most colorful spot in June - John's rock garden

Mmmmm, it really smells sweet here right now, particularly in the evenings. At the side door, the last of Palibin lilacs waft their scent and from behind the house comes the lovely perfume of the black locust trees.

Dame's rocket growing under a stand of sumacs
naturalized area around our silo

Walk to my husband John's rock garden, and there's the spicy fragrance of dianthus, mingled with that of dame's rocket, which grows wild under the sumacs nearby. Then at my four-square garden, it's the peonies, just starting to bloom. I remember well when we first moved here - 11 years ago now - there was no garden, and very little scent - just the black locusts.

A June bouquet from the 4-square garden:
peonies, lady's mantle and Siberian iris

So what else is in bloom for this garden blogger's bloom day? Well, we have rock garden plants (that garden has never looked better) - too many to mention, even if I knew what they all were.

A closer view of a part of the rock garden
with pink creeping baby's breath, dianthus, alpine alyssum

In my flowerbeds, there's beautybush, giant white fleece flower (Persicaria polymorpha), false blue indigo (Baptisia australis), lady's mantle, Siberian iris and Allium christophii, Salvia offincialis, and catmint.

Persicaria polymorpha, beautybush and false blue indigo
in my semi-circular border

Except for the rock garden, June isn't as colorful in most of my garden as July is. That's because my orientation is the prairie style, based on lots of ornamental grasses and masses of mid- to late-season perennials. Still to bloom too is our prairie meadow, which comes into its own next month.

For lots more on June Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, head on over to May Dreams Gardens.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Meet the culprits...the bulb thieves

They look pretty cute, these chipmunks, but they are systematically clearing my garden of all of its crocus and tulip bulbs. I keep finding holes they've dug everywhere around the house.

Our house is on a hill, and our patio is terraced with large rocks. Unfortunately, it's perfect chipmunk habitat, and I guess the thing to do is plant more daffodils, which I'm told they don't touch.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener