This post is about the gardener's joys and agonies. :)
The weather in Eastern Finland has been cold and only on Sunday we finally got some rain. Summer is just around the corner though, and the summer annuals have been bought and planted.
KyllÀpÀ se kevÀt edistyy hitaasti! TÀÀllÀ on ollut kylmÀÀ ja kuivaa. Onneksi sunnuntaina vihdoin satoi. EnsimmÀiset kukkijat availevat nuppujaan. Koivujen lehdet ovat hiirenkorvilla ja vuoden kaunein aika on melkein kÀsillÀ.
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| Rhododendron 'Haaga' |
TÀmÀ tuoksukurjenpolvi on suosikkini. Sen lehdet olivat pysyneet vihreinÀ katolta pudonneen lumen alla. Kun iso, kova lumikasa vihdoin suli, lehdet melkein pomppasivat pystyyn ja alkoivat kasvaa. :)
JĂ€nisten/rusakkojen takia olen joutunut suojaamaan houkuttelevimmat kasvit verkolla.
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| Geranium macrorrhizum 'Spessart' |
But why so many plants are caged behind the chicken wire? :)
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| Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt' |
I was lucky to photograph these crocuses. On the following day, most of the flowers had been eaten:
He wasn't the culprit this time, because also these plants had been protected with the fencing. Do birds eat crocus flowers?
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| They look so innocent... |
... but this was a primula:
This was a potted gazania (an old photo):
And this was a clustered bellflower, before protecting all of them with a fence:
The young green leaves are so beautiful...
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| Aquilegia x cultorum |
Tomaatintaimet kukkivat kasvihuoneessa:
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| Solanum lycopersicum 'Sungold' |
Suomen Ruususeuran sivulla on paljon tietoa ja ihania kuvia 'SĂ€vel'-ruususta:
TÀmÀ on valmiina ostettu istutus. Lumoavat vÀrit, eikö olekin?
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| Sutera cordata |
In winter, it would be lovely to hibernate away until spring, and in summer it would be lovely to stay awake all night. :) Early in the morning (at half past two, to be precise) it looks like this when you look towards the north:
EnsimmĂ€inen (lue: ainoa) kuva jonka olen onnistunut saamaan kimalaisesta. Minulla oli niille baarikin (SLL:n ohjeet tÀÀllĂ€) avattuna, mutta ei tullut asiakkaita. Onneksi nyt on jo kukkia. â„
BlogiystÀvÀ Teresa on kokeillut kuparista etanateippiÀ taistelussa lehtokotiloita vastaan. TÀÀllÀ ItÀ-Suomessa kotiloita ei (vielÀ) ole, mutta niiden tuhovoima on tullut tutuksi muualla. Olut ei taida toimia niiden torjunnassa, mutta etikan sanotaan olevan hyvÀ tapa tappaa ne nopeasti ja mahdollisimman kivuttomasti.
Aiheesta tuli mieleen tÀmÀ lehtileike, joka nauratti minua Marimekon plagiaattikohun aikaan (2013). Virpi Salmi (yksi suosikkikolumnisteistani) oli "inspiroitunut" joistakin tunnetuista teoksista ja esitteli Me naiset -lehden sivulla hyviÀ tuoteideoita. :) Muutkin olivat hauskoja, mutta vain tÀmÀn puutarha-aiheisen leikkasin talteen.
â„!
Great shots, Sara. I am happy to say that our garden is now doing well.
VastaaPoistaThank you, David! Happy gardening! :)
PoistaLinnut syövÀt krookuksen kukkia, meillÀ varsinkin varpuset
VastaaPoistaJaa-a, olisi kiinnostavaa joskus aamuhÀmÀrissÀ nÀhdÀ kuka se niitÀ kukkasia oikein mussuttaa. Joku, joka mahtuu 4 cm reiÀstÀ lÀpi... :)
PoistaOunou. Kova kohtalo sun kukilla.. Ovat selvÀstikin syötÀvÀn ihania! MeillÀ naakat paiskovat kukkasipuleita, mutten tiedÀ, syövÀtkö. Kaiketi etsivÀt muuta ruokaa sipulien joukosta.
VastaaPoistaKyllÀ tosiaan joskus harmittaa! Onneksi tÀÀllÀ ei ole vielÀ niitÀ kotiloita... eikÀ peuroja. :)
PoistaVery nice Sara! Love all your photos but tomato ... yes, very nice. My one hasn't flowers yet. Still waiting for it.
VastaaPoistaThank you, Aritha!
PoistaGrowing tomatoes has been going well this year... so far. :)
Such pretty flowers, my friend, but oh, I am so sorry about your plants being eaten! We have deer that like to eat our flowers so I can understand your frustration.
VastaaPoistaHugs and joy to you!
Thank you, Stephanie!
PoistaWe are very happy not to have deer (yet). :)
Big hugs!
Your photos are just gorgeous, dear Sara! It can be sad when insects and/or animals eat the flowers and plants in gardens. I hope you are having a great week. Warm hugs! :)
VastaaPoistaThank you, Linda!
PoistaWhy do they always need to eat the most special and rare plants? :)
Big hugs!
Do you have wild boar up there! I think there would be even more of a mess however!
VastaaPoistaA good question, Simon! We don't have them yet, but the population is re-establishing in Finland. Who wants them back? Only the hunters.
PoistaLovey photos of all the flowers and plants. I hope the fence keeps the animals from eating the flowers and plants. Have a blessed day. Madeline
VastaaPoistaThank you, Madeline!
PoistaI hope so too. :)
Blessings!
Bad, bad bunny!!!!!!
VastaaPoistaBeautiful photos. Hope your weather does warm up soon. And make all those flowers happy.
Ahhhh yes, in Finland, you have summer long days, and winter short ones.
Do you decorate with lots of white walls, to "hoard" the light? :-)
Luna Crone
Thank you, Luna!
PoistaI think traditionally almost all the colours have been used, but the modern Scandinavian decor seems to use much white. When I will paint again our walls, there will definitely be more white colour here. :)
Hej Sara!
VastaaPoistaAj aj sÄ trist med vÀxterna. Jag Àr djurvÀn och det Àr du ocksÄ vad jag förstÄr men ledsna blir vi ÀndÄ nÀr vi vÀntat sÄ lÀnge pÄ att fÄ se plantorna titta fram. Det Àr mÄnga utmaningar vi tvingas möta med vÄra trÀdgÄrdar, klimatet Àr numera sÄ nyckfullt och naturen blir förvirrad. Vi har det torrt, jÀttetorrt och grundvattnet ligger lÄngt under det normala sÄ det blir en kamp mot vÀdret ocksÄ.
Och jag sÀger det igen, alldeles fantastiska bilder!
Kram!
Kiitos, Gunilla!
PoistaKyllÀ se harmittaa, kun ne osaavat syödÀ juuri niitÀ kasveja joita ei pitÀisi. :)
Toivottavasti saatte pian sadetta! Puss och kram!
So many beautiful, amazing photos, dear Sara! The flower with the bumblebee, the lovely composition of the special coloured little flowers, the rabbit, the crocuses... I love them all! :-) We had to use bird netting, because the blackbirds pick out the seeds and the plants... Big hugs! :-)
VastaaPoistaThank you, dear Edit!
PoistaAt least blackbirds have a wonderful song. We have lots of fieldfares (Turdus pilaris). They are awfully bothersome. :)
Have a great weekend!
Hienoja kuvia ja vilahti siellÀ ainakin yksi karvakorvakin seassa :) Erikoinen vÀri petuniassa (?) ja lumihiutaleet ovat kauniisti sÀvysÀvyyn.
VastaaPoistaKiitos, Maatuska!
PoistaMiljoonakellolajikkeen nimen pitÀisi olla 'Candy Bouquet'. Olin innoissani sen hauskoista vÀreistÀ, mutta sitten luin miten kovaa taistelua nÀiden kukkien "tekijÀnoikeuksista" kÀydÀÀn... Myös "Million Bells" on oikeastaan rekisteröity tavaramerkki.
Niin kaunista! Ihana pupu;-) Lehtokotilot ovat keljuja! Piha on taas sateen jÀlkeen tÀynnÀ nilviÀisiÀ;-(
VastaaPoistaKiitos, Anne!
PoistaPupu on söpö, mutta sen takia piha on tÀynnÀ kanaverkkotötteröitÀ. :)
Hello Sara,
VastaaPoistaI'm so sorry about your plants. It's not nice when they are eaten by animals.
Beautiful, beautiful photos!
Halaus! :)
Thank you, Marit!
PoistaBy now I have protected with a fence almost all the "delicious" plants. :)
Klem! :)
Oh Sara, it is discouraging when plants and flowers are eaten by animals. So sorry, and I hope the fencing keeps others away. We have had a cold wet spring too. We really need some sunshine!
VastaaPoistaThank you, Linda!
PoistaHere +4 C and raining... :)
It's always nice to see the rabbits on the trail, but they run away much too fast before I can get a picture of them. Your flowers are so pretty, especially the purple ones that look like daisies. Some of the green plants in your area are very interesting too. I'm glad you got some rain. It makes the flowers blossom. It rained here today also. I was wondering what your summers are like. It gets very warm here in the summer months.
VastaaPoistaHappy June, my friend.
~Sheri
Thank you, Sheri!
PoistaOur summer is wonderful at its best... but definitely too short. :) The typical daytime temperatures range between 20 and 25C (68 - 77F).
Happy June! <3
MinĂ€ epĂ€ilin jĂ€niksiĂ€ kun krookukset oli jĂ€rsitty, mutta tĂ€ssĂ€hĂ€n sen huomaa ettĂ€ pitĂ€isi hankkia todisteet ensin đ
VastaaPoistaLumoavia kuvia, kuten tavallista đ MetsĂ€kuvan ÀÀressĂ€ viivĂ€hdin ison tovin đja rodon nuput ovat kerrassaan hurmaavat, kĂ€pymĂ€iset.
Kiitos, Rita!
PoistaPitÀisi olla riistakamera tms. Voihan olla, ettÀ jÀnis nostaa suojaverkon pois, syö kukat ja panee verkon takaisin paikoilleen. :)
Oh, this is gorgeous! :-)
VastaaPoistaGreetings from London.
Thank you, Mario!
PoistaGreetings to London. :)
Beautiful flowers...the little culprit made me smile though :-)
VastaaPoistaThank you, Silvana!
PoistaKind of cute, isn't he? :)
Hi Sara, the first three pictures are beautiful, I have never seen these flowers here.
VastaaPoistaNice post.
Good start to June.
Hugs
Janicce
Thank you, Janicce!
PoistaThe first two photos are of a Calibrachoa. They have become very popular ornamental plants here. Oh, I just learned from Wikipedia that "they are found across much the same region of South America as petunias, from southern Brazil across to Peru and Chile" and were "named by Vicente Cervantes after Antonio de la Cal y Bracho, a 19th-century Mexican botanist and pharmacologist". :)
In the third photo, there's a Finnish Rhododendron cultivar 'Haaga', enough hardy for our cold climate.
Big hugs!
Cousin bunny is in my garden and a naughty one too! I just planted a new centaura 'Black Sprite' and when I went to water it I couldn't figure out which plant it was. Where were those exciting spiky black flowers? Oh, I know - it's the plant that is sheared across and half the height it was yesterday. :-( We have a fox in the neighbourhood and he was poking around our front garden this morning - I think he can smell the bunnies. :-)
VastaaPoistaYou were wise to put some fencing around your perennials, I only put dollar store fence lengths to protect the plants I know are targeted.
Oh no, Judith! I googled 'Black Sprite'. What an extraordinary plant!
PoistaFencing is necessary here where we have woodlands all around. I must look for more beautiful (but preferably inexpensive) solutions though. We try, after all, to garden for beauty. :)
I think Sara, the hares aren't so innocent as they look :-(
VastaaPoistaI love your flowers, hopefully they will well blossom all summer, despite on cold summer start. Today we got some hail, oh...
Thank you, Nadezda!
PoistaNo, the hares aren't innocent at all.
We too got some hail today. The postwoman keeps delivering swimwear brochures to us, when what we really would need is skiwear. :)
Wonderful Spring aspects captured, Sara!! Nature shows so much, it's all about beauty like I believe often. Looking at the beauty of flowers, the fresh green leaves all over, I feel energized and more positive in this lovely season. Indeed, Summer is just around the corner though in these days we had rains in May, too!
VastaaPoistaGreat series of pictures, cute little bunny and gorgeous spring blooms in your yard. Hopefully, there is enough time for vegetation to grow as summer is so near. (*-*)
A very sunny month of June and great weekend ahead! Alexa
Thank you very much, Alexa! Contact with nature is crucial for our well-being.
PoistaWishing you a happy June filled with flowers! <3
Stunning flowers!My favourite is pink "petĂșnia"!!Thanks for sharing!
VastaaPoistaThank you very much, Maristella!
PoistaHave a lovely new week!
Such very pretty flowers, but sorry about your plants being eaten ... this can happen from time to time. Many years ago we had squirrels that kept uprooting many plants, especially pansies!
VastaaPoistaAll the best Jan
Thank you, Jan!
PoistaWe haven't noticed that our squirrels would uproot plants. That sounds terribly annoying! :)
Hugs!