After this year’s terrible weather killed off many of our early spring blossoms, such as those of the forsythias and many azaleas, it’s wonderful to see that the clematis and digitalis purpurea (common foxglove) are glorious.

Once the digitalis flowers fade, we cut off the elongated stems/spikes at their base and store them in a paper bag until the seed pods develop. Once dry, they are scattered here and there throughout the garden beds or at the base of the existing plants.

Foxgloves are biennials and most of the seeds will produce plants by the end of the season, and next year they will flower, continuing the floral and welcome cycle. Any plants that pop up where they shouldn’t be are either transplanted or assigned to the compost bin.

It’s been fun to welcome the hummingbirds back and watch them enjoying their homemade nectar, which we make fresh every week by boiling one-half cup of sugar in two cups of water.

A special treat was the building of a nest by a mommy cardinal in one of our foundation azalea shrubs, where we were able to see her tend to the eggs and the babies when they hatched. It’s been fun to watch the babies flutter about on the grass.

Ah, the Solstice arrives on June 20! Happy Summer!