This Saturday will be the Summer Solstice, otherwise known as Litha, which celebrates the longest day of the year. Aside from the traditional bonfire, (which seems counterintuitive in summer heat, but is lit to celebrate the power of the sun at its strongest), one important activity is the gathering of herbs on this day. The powers of herbs are supposed to be at their peak on Litha, so it's a perfect time to gather them for drying and using throughout the rest of the year. I have my eye on a lovely dehydrator that I found online, but in the meantime, I'll be harvesting the herbs and hanging them to dry in a dark, dry place with good air circulation (so they don't get moldy).
So many things are blooming right now that it's hard to list them all. The Rose of Sharons are one of the lovelier things blooming right now; these are not roses at all, but large deciduous shrubs that have single or double flowers of various colors. Some people refer to these as altheas, although their botanical name is Hibiscus syriacus.
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| Hibiscus syriacus, otherwise known as Rose of Sharon |
Hydrangeas are another wonderful thing that are starting to bloom now. Both oakleaf hydrangeas and mophead hydrangeas are in bloom; I can't decide which one I like better. The pink one below is in bloom today at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It's hard in Atlanta to get pink blooms on a hydrangea because of our acidic soil (acidic soil produces blue flowers on hydrangeas). There are a few new varieties that stay pink despite the pH level, though; the one pictured below is evidently one of these.
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| A pink hydrangea macrophylla |
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| Oakleaf Hydrangea |
One of my favorite flowers, the daylilies, have started blooming in earnest, and even though each bloom is only open for a single day (hence the name), the succession of blooms is such that you don't notice the spent ones. I have two new ones in my garden this year (H. 'Butter Curls' and H. 'Golden Prize') that I got at the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Garden Envy auction in the spring. The 'Butter Curls' is already one of my favorites because of the ruffly edges of its creamy yellow petals.
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| Hemerocallis 'Butter Curls' |
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| 'Kwanzo Double' daylily |
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| H. 'Golden Prize' |
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| A zinnia that came up in the walkway; I didn't have the heart to remove it. |
The roses are lovely again, and the bee balm is finally in full display (The bees are ecstatic about this last development.). Bee balm, or monarda, is the herb used to brew Oswego tea (named for the Indian tribe who taught the colonists how to make it); use the small leaves just before the flower blooms for the best taste as well as the most potent medicinal value. Paracelsus called this plant the "elixir of life;" it's good for uterine disorders, dysentery, nervous disorders, and is supposedly a safeguard against senility.
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| Bee Balm! |
Use the extra light of the longest day of the year to enjoy your garden for as long as possible. Plus, it's so much more comfortable than standing near a blistering bonfire.
Wishing you happiness in spades,
M.R.S.
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