Gardening in June

High country gardening techniques say

...to prolong the blooming period of columbine you need to interrupt this seed producing process by removing the faded flowers and any seed pods that have formed. The plant then sends up more flowers in an effort to make more seeds. Since columbine are perennial and grow back from their rootstock, you'll still have a columbine in the same spot next year... source

It is a shame to pluck these beauties and denude them of flowers.  But I saved some columbines in pictures just in case we don't get another crop of yellow columbines this summer.

The penstemon were in full bloom this week also.  I cut them down, too.  Ruthlessly, in fact.  But they will exhibit again, history reminds me.  They tolerate partial shade, which is what the sun in the back displays.

I have been transplanting daises also.  The above ones that are caged are white and have a short bloom period, but are worth the wait.  Crossing my fingers they will get enough sunlight for blooming.  I lost bluebells to the lack of sun, and had to transplant purple marshmallow to a different location for better growth.

Marshmallow (purple)

Above are cosmos that were started from seed in April in the kitchen window.  The "before" picture is below of both the cosmos and the zinnias.

And zinnia plants now, almost ready for transplanting AGAIN

And lastly, for historical botanical purposes, is the penstemon purchased for the wildflower garden begun in 2012.

Then (2012)

and now (2014):

Even though I have lost several plants over the winter, overall the garden is doing well.  How is YOUR garden growing?

source (Denslow, public domain)

Trout

Fish!  We caught fish!  The husband and I each caught our trout limit this morning in a bit over an hour in a lake twenty minutes from our house.  We kept the biggest of the eight, six total were brought home.  They will be fried up in a pan outdoors over a grill fire for dinner tonight.

This is a swordfish.  I am on the left and Kathy is on the right, with the fish in the middle, in case you wondered. That picture was taken years ago when we had a girls' weekend in Cabo San Lucas and reminds me of our great vacation.  And no, we did not catch that sailfish.  We just rode on others' fishing experiences.  

And lastly, more painting on the fence.  Think maybe we are through with this effort.  It is getting too hot to paint outside anymore; we are expecting 91 degrees F today.

Done and Done

Finally.  Finished the Shetland Lace Shawl #2 in record time to participate in Fiber Arts Friday blog-along.

Pictures are not great, but the shawl itself is different in that it is made from 100% organic linen from Quince & Co..  It softened up after soaking and blocking, although it was not blocked to points since I will wear it around my neck and those points would not show anyway. So why bother? is the motto of the day.

Here is the model wearing this shawl found in Allen and Budd's Wrap Style, but made in  wool.

Evelyn Clark's ebook looks interesting.  She has this pattern and others at that link.

Go here to see other finished objects this week.

PS: Son in law Jack took this picture yesterday.  Awesome, and not in the sense that kids say it today.  Jack captured God's presence right there in York, South Carolina after a spring rain storm.