Little Gollum, the baby Red Squirrel, is still around. He is a daredevil tree climber. He is finally getting some red fur, but it has taken a month. He is so used to me that he lets me get close for pictures.
These are the first summer bloomers of 2021. Except for the Globe Thistle buds at the bottom of the photo, these plants are volunteers. Yellow Mullein, Tall Evening primrose, feral orange daylilies, and a true vacant lot weed, St John’s- wort. The St John’s-wort can spread around by root and seed, but if you are a faithful weeder, you can control it. It is one of my favorite plants. This flower bed is at the foot of a tall retaining wall and the soil is mostly sand that drains so quickly that even after rain it is dry.
A wider view of the wall garden. Note the Goldenrods growing in the wall. Of all gardens. I love dry gardens the most, and the sandy barrens in this part of New Hampshire have so many field asters and goldenrods that thrive here. A native plant purist might quibble with planting artemesia, anthemis, lavender, rosemary, marigolds, Mexican salvias , and Russian sage among the Heath asters and the silverrods, but this is my garden and I will plant it my way!
Gardening On Granite 