It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that it is the middle of June, although it is certainly getting hot enough. I am not a fan of summer heat, although I do like the cool mornings and evenings we usually have. June is the month the fireflies usually come out, and we see them lighting up like twinkle lights in the meadow at dusk. Abundant green in the forest and a profusion of flowers are here, and the critter watch is fun. As usual, when I get going on the garden, this will be a long and picture heavy post. My hydrangea is covered in buds and the blooms are opening. I am delighted to see they are my favorite, lovely lavender color.
Some are lighter and more pale with a bit of white right now, but this will darken over the next couple of days.
The peach and yellow day lily is revving up, with a huge number of buds preparing to bloom.
We had a new visitor. This little woodchuck was chowing down on the clover in the front yard near the house. I need him to stay there and leave my other plants alone. But he is cute. He may actually be the same one from last summer that got stuck in our garage once.
The geraniums continue to bloom in this intense pink color. I needed to prune them a bit, so I cut this flower after I took the picture. This would make wonderful color for some handmade paper, but the flower stems stink too much.
The local bear dropped by to check out the seeds dropped from the bird feeder. It is set too high for him to reach, but he can snuffle around the base. Still, I’d rather he moved on, so I made some noise to encourage him to leave.
When he got farther away, I stepped onto the veranda with my long lens camera to get a better photo. He is growing! He has doubled in size and weight since I saw him last, well, provided he is the same one. I suspect that he is, but really I have no way to know for sure. He looks to be approaching 200 pounds now.
The torenias I planted in the hanging baskets in May are doing well. There have been many hummingbird sightings, but none have stayed long enough for a photo.
Oliver continues to make an appearance almost daily. He gets his tidbit if he stays off the veranda. I had to chase him off the veranda with a broom the other day so he didn’t get a treat that day.
Lately, he has been bringing a buddy with him, and they both will sit up and beg. No, I cannot really tell them apart, until they get their handout. Oliver always goes to the tree stump or the retaining wall below it to eat his, while the other one prefers to sit in the grass.
The teacup planter is doing well, with more torenias. My birdcage was being visited by a Carolina Wren, and I figured that I better get some plants in there before he decided to build a nest in it again.
A trip to the big box store’s garden center yielded a bonanza of bargain flowers. I got a flat of violas off the bargain rack at $1 each, two six packs of petunias for $3 each, and a few assorted other flowers for 50 cents. I wanted some impatiens for the tile top tables, but they only had a weird orange color I didn’t like. So, I bought white begonias instead.
One hanging basket was $9, and it had seven plants, so they came out to just over $1.25 each. That’s almost as good as the bargain rack, and these were healthy and vigorous. I carefully pulled them apart, and planted two in each of the table pots.
Those go between the rockers that My Sweet Babboo re-varnished for the season. A third one sits on the other end of the bench. They are just the right size to hold a cup of coffee in the morning, a cold glass of iced tea in the afternoon, or an adult libation in the evening.
Back to the potting bench, I decided to put the petunias and some violas in the strawberry pot. I’ve tried several times to actually grow strawberries, but that hasn’t worked.
More violas are planted in the white urns. The corner pot holds a tomato, and the other two have dahlias.
My tomatoes are strong and growing well, finally I see some yellow flowers.
This little pot sits on the brick planter to add a bit of color and interest when the bulbs are finished blooming. The dusty miller was still alive from over the winter, so I pruned it a bit, then added a white viola and a red celosia. I think those colors will go nicely together when the plants get a bit larger.
And then, the woodchuck was back. We’ve seen him enough days that My Sweet Babboo says we need to give him a name.
The Thanksgiving cactus is put outside, now that the overnight temperatures are warm. I’ll ignore it for the next several months, only giving it some water when it droops. I will shake some time release fertilizer on it. I use Osmocote granules.
Another pot of torenia sits on the little wood cart. I have seen the hummingbirds a few times, and I am hoping I can get a picture of one near this window.
Begonia and petunias are now in the birdcage, and a pot of white viola sits on the iron table shelf below the teacup full of torenia.
I am going to have to repot this spike dracaena at some point. The roots are coming out of the soil. I hesitate to put it in a heavy pot, as it has to be moved several times a year. So, that one will need some thought, and likely a plastic pot.
More torenia in the rectangular planter sit on an iron table.
The variety is called gilded grape, a pretty yellow with a purple throat.
The veranda is looking like summer, full of green and color. It is a sanctuary.
Sitting with my camera, I am still taking photos of birds in trees. This cardinal sat on this branch for quite a while, singing his heart out.
Another gorgeous bloom appeared on the hydrangea. There are so many now that I cut a few to enjoy in a vase on the kitchen counter.
What is happening in your garden? Do you have a suggestion for a name for our woodchuck? Do you sometimes cut flowers for enjoying inside?
From My Carolina Home 
Thanks for the delightful garden & wildlife tour. My sister & I planted begonias on our parent’s graves yesterday. During our cemetery stroll we watched 5 baby woodchucks frolicking amongst some headstones. It looks like you not only need a name for the visiting woodchuck, but for Oliver’s friend too.
Even though I love seeing the bear, my husband says you might ought to call the parks and wildlife to come pick him up before he gets too big and starts causing trouble! This is the first time I recall seeing your woodchuck. It’s hard to tell how big he is. Is he an adult? You may wind up with a bunch of cute squirrels before long, all wanting a piece of bread and a taste of peanut butter! We have one squirrel which I call a “furry rat”! He plays around our pine tree by my front window early in the morning and then he moves to our back fence a little later and then we don’t see him again until the next day. I enjoyed seeing all your plants and critters.
Your post was such great company this sunny Sunday morning along with my cup of coffee. What a stunning array of Mother Nature at her finest.
You could call the woodchuck Chuck, but that’s rather prosaic. How about Wilson? No idea why, just think it fits. Perhaps the other squirrel should be Olivia. Your veranda is lovely and inviting! I also enjoyed the peek at the quilt block through the veranda railing 🙂
Super fun garden update, Carole!!! Our front flowerbed is turning into a milkweed patch, with more every year. We love having the monarch butterflies come.
I live in the UK, so nice to see other gardens/veranda’s across the globe! I have been taking cuttings from a very small hydrangea given to me by my late Mother in law many moons ago, it has been enjoyed by a vast majority of my own friends and family and obviously gained members of it’s own family adorning my own garden. I love any kind of wildlife welcomed or not! I also love your little visitor, and I would call him ‘buddy’. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful pictures.
Maybe quilting makes your thumbs turn green!
Beautiful flowers and decorating.
B.
Always love seeing your beautiful flowers!!!🌺
we have some of the same plants but I’m glad I don’t have your bear – I wouldn’t even be leaving out bird seed as it attracts the bears 🙂 I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder as I am outside keeping an eye out for bears LOL my dusty miller came back also and is very tall now and has yellow flowers on it
The only critters we are seeing and HEARING are cicadas. They are 4 years early. Now we have gulls circling the neighborhood for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Can’t wait for this season to end. Going outside without a hat, long sleeves, and ear protection is not possible! Talk about social distancing – UG.
Enjoyed seeing your flowers,
Carolyn K.
Gorgeous photos of your beautiful veranda and surrounding property! That is a beautiful cardinal! I have actual tomatoes on my cherry tomato plant, and blooms on the regular tomato. That is a cause for celebration at our house!
Always enjoyable to see how you populate the veranda with plants and flowers each year. While there have been bear sitings in the region, I’ve fortunately never seen one here. The deer are bad enough. A bear would keep me inside. I’ve decided to not plant my containers this year. Haven’t been to a garden center and the big box stores are all in Rochester where the virus has been more prevalent. It was 38 degrees at 6:30 this morning! It was 94 last Wed. So this may be the year I finally let go of the gardens.
Enjoyed seeing your lovely flowers! Those Hydrangeas are my favorite, I could have an entire yard full and never tire of them. Thanks for sharing.
Love your flowers! And everything else you post about. Such talent you have.
I am writing to ask about Bluprint. There is a pattern for a tree skirt that I would like to have.
Found it originally on a blog but before I ordered it, it became exclusive to Bluprint. Tried a couple different times to subscribe but could not get it to go through. . Do you know where patterns might be found as they are closing the site?
Thank you
Sandy Hilton
St Simons Island, GA
Bluprint is not accepting any new accounts or orders after May 31. Sorry, but unless you already had it in your forever pattern file, it cannot be purchased now. Many designers have removed their patterns, so it may have been gone long ago.
Enjoyed the flower show! Oliver might have an Olivia? The bears have been wandering further with the absence of humans stomping around.
I so enjoyed your post. You veranda looks wonderfully cozy and happy. I like watching hummingbirds too. I especially enjoy that you share your wildlife sightings with us. Only wish I were there to enjoy it with you….bboooohhhhooooo. 🙂
Chuckie of course. Every thing is looking beautiful,peaceful and ready for Summer.
What a fun post. I enjoyed a virtual walk in your beautiful garden. Great photos. I’ve never seen a woodchuck in person. Yours is adorably cute.
You’d best keep a watchful eye on that woodchuck and try to discourage his presence. We had one gnaw through the garage wall, apparently to set up housekeeping for the winter. I nearly had a heart attack going out to the car one morning and he was sitting on the hood.
Lots going on in your garden! I enjoy seeing all the color as my garden is now a south-west facing balcony with blazing afternoon sun and lots of wind. My lonely dwarf Meyer lemon tree is not happy! However, I no longer have to battle the deer for blossoms.
Say hello to Didi S when you get back together about the beautiful QOV you are quilting for her. We were fellow worker bees at Baltimore Heritage Quilters before she moved to NC and I moved to CA. I miss my MD quilting buds but have made lots of new quilting friends out here in the past few years.
@susansquiltsrudio
Your woodchuck looks like a Chester to me! Also, I have a cactus like yours and we always called it a Christmas cactus. It’s peach color but I wish it were red! It looks kinda pale right now and is on my front porch. Can’t decide if it needs more sun or not…being a cactus & all. What do you think? Love your photos!
Sweeeeet post Carole.
The bear makes my knees wobble. I would be afraid.
I think Woodchuck’s name should be Chuck, or if it is a girl, then maybe Clover, since we like to keep her in the clover.
This year, we actually have a family of squirrels living in the pine trees about 30 feet from our house. I also discovered the chipmunks have moved into my hill garden. They are so cute. We usually watch activity from the back yard, from our upstairs bathroom window. Just because it is higher up.
You have been doing a lot of nice planting and making everything so pretty.
This morning I woke up and felt stiff all over. I thought “wow, I must be tense when I am sleeping (stress)” but then I remembered I clipped bushes all day yesterday, filled two cans of “yard debris” yeah, weird we cannot dump clipping in the woods, whatever.
Mosquitoes LOVE me. They think I am dessert, I get bites everywhere.
So I am using some spray from skin so soft with Picaridin. It sort of helps repel, but bugs love me.
I adore your hydrangeas.
I have two huge camillia bushes and they are such incredible plants that produce two types of flowers.
Have a fun Sunday
Woodchucks are very destructive. We had one that ate off all our garden one year including tomatoes till our neighbor live trapped it. They will also burrow under foundations. Please try not to feed or encourage him.
Ferguson J. Smythe. He looks to be young and will need a substantial name for his girth when he grows up! Love the bear. Can you get his footprint? Gray hair – but still a child at heart. True the park should be aware, just in case. Love all the flowers and fur and feathers, Chicago is just making the turn, but I have everything covered in netting in various colors from my craft stash to keep the cicadas at bay. May be hopeless so will truly enjoy your garden even more and potted plants even more. So vibrant! Thanks for doing this and sharing!
Your place is beautiful and you have a fun group of animals near. Love it!
Hi Carole! Loved seeing all the flora and fauna at your house. And yes, you must name the woodchuck and Oliver’s friend, too😊
I have a really good friend, who is also a quilter, and she is moving to Asheville/Hendersonville, NC this month ( from California). She was really sad about leaving friends here but cheered up when I sent her your recent post where you and some friends met up at a winery for lunch and quilty show and tell. She feels better knowing there are other quilters in the area where she’ll be living. I think she will start following your blog once she gets settled. Who knows but maybe you will both meet some day!😀 Her name is Vicki Kays…just in case you bump into each other😉 Thanks for sharing your part of the country. Take care and stay away from Baby Bear! Where is Mama ?!
Pam from California
So much to see and enjoy from the beautiful flowers to the fabulous shot of the bear. Our Oliver turned out to be Olivia and I think she has gone off to nest. We started to have quite a group of squirrels coming by but it is back to a manageable 2 right now. They like basil and after the 2nd time digging in the pots I have repotted and moved inside to my kitchen window. Your tomato’s are looking good too 🙂 I got a baby quilt pieced together this morning now getting ready to tackle some light gardening. Enjoy the coming week.
Beautiful tour of your garden plants and plantings. Always love the pictures of animals and birds….the cardinal is beautiful; we don’t have those here in OR, but we have Stellars Jay that are very similar in shape of their heads, but they are blue, of course.
I think the little woodchuck needs a name like Woody…..of course he could be a she! LOL
Birds, Blooms, Wildlife, and that porch….ahh! I can see you sitting out there in the evening doing some handwork and enjoying the fresh air! Lovely photos and that cheeky Oliver just makes me laugh!
Beautiful blooms and some fun wildlife too-would cool to see the bear as long as he doesn’t get into mischief there. we saw a small bear at the woods house a couple of times
Your verandah is a delight,as each season it is a new picture.that day,lily,I have some but not as delicate as that.fancy having a bear cone so close, I would be afraid he might be tempted to come inside.
Your garden continues to grow well and look lovely. And the wildlife would provide a lot of interest as long as it stays in the garden.
It is always a pleasure to visit your garden and wildlife habitat! The hydrangeas are looking beautiful. We have so many critters, that most of them are so annoying. Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail are eating my dahlia leaves. At least we haven’t spotted a bear, yet. We know they are near
Thank you for this latest garden update. Always so colourful and interesting. I am enjoying a host of self-seeded Nicotiana popping up all around the garden and keeping up the colour as the self-seeded Foxgloves come to an end.
Mobs of juvenile Starlings are flocking together and making a lot of noise as they arrive in the garden, making short work of the seed in the bird feeders! We had a very wet Winter but since March we have had very little rain so we are busy on an endless round of watering – it’s worth it to see the flowers and the fruit and veg flourishing 🙂
I enjoy my trips around your garden. It’s one of the few times I wish I was interested in gardening 🙂
Carole’s garden is like a theater production. Everything is so beautiful, a delightful show and we get to be the audience. And so we applaud you Carole for all the time and energy and heartbreak and joy you put into the garden and everything else you do.
Your garden looks beautiful and so full of critters. You have such a wonderful attitude toward them too. The woodchuck is adorable. I really enjoyed visiting you.
-Soma
Love this post … all the flowers & animals. As for the woodchuck eating clover, seems like an Irish name would be appropriate. How about Patrick (Patty) or Sean … or you could go with Killian! Anyway, I was curious about putting the Christmas cactus outside. I put mine out but it got sunburned. Guessing yours is in a shady spot? Have a great upcoming weekend!
Your porch and plants are looking wonderful Carole, so nice to see the birds and animals too. Our Christmas cactus is in flower at the moment.