The Long Season

It's been a long and slow June flowering season. Many of the flowers that by now would be fried have held on so that many, much like the flowering trees of spring, are sharing space that don't usually find occasion to do so. Our side yard took a couple of hits this winter, primarily the loss of the corner Chrysanthemum and the weakening of the blue flax to just a couple of stems. It's a challenge to keep the sedum from being smothered by taller plants, yet the dayflower and smartweed continue to sprout in the most unlikely locations. I've lost the New York Ironweed, but the solidago and asters hold on. Only a handful of elephant garlic have made it to flower and those were placed in the sunniest locations. The lilies are shooting up, but will flower later, yet if the temperatures remain below 85 there promises to be a pretty spectacular collection of early, mid, and late June flowers all at once.