Spring into Summer

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need!” Cicero

I’m sitting at my computer in my library, gazing out my French doors to my spectacular spring garden where hummingbirds feed from lavender trumpet vines before splashing in my gurgling fountain. When I can’t think of another word to write, I grab my boots, gloves, hat, and my newest weeding tool, the CobraHead, and dig more weeds. Spring will soon morph into summer, and I want to be ready.

I’ve been weeding for weeks while watching my landscape burst into glorious blooms. The hillside and orchard are canvased in cascading nasturtiums, bright orange California poppies, purple and white iris, buttery yellow calendulas, and pink geraniums. Robust and romantic amethyst-colored clematis climbs a trellis, while David Austin roses present an arc of sherbert-hued deliciousness.

I’m fascinated with heuchera (coral bells) from Terra Nova Nurseries called “Changeling”. The foliage changes colors from peach to cherry to champagne and taupe with several shades of celadon and moss on deep pink stems.

Elegant and show-stopping, my rhododendrons with their deep-pink petals are a superb understory shrub in an area where they receive dappled sunlight. The name derives from the Greek words rhodo, meaning rose, and dendron, meaning tree. Rhododendrons are small trees growing 6-10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide.

The fence of fragrant jasmine is fading. Thankfully, the numerous rose bushes scent the air with their intoxicating perfume. If you want lots of blooms for cut flowers and plenty of aromatic flowers for nine months of the year, roses give the greatest bang for your buck. (In the three months that roses aren’t blooming, you can count on camellias saving the day!) I was most surprised at the stupendous flowers of the snapdragons that I planted in late fall from a six-pack. Lush white and burgundy flowers top three-foot-tall stems.

This is gearing up to be a wonderful season of fruit. Trees are heavy with lemons, limes, and tangelos. Loquats are being harvested while the cherries are getting more color. If the birds don’t beat me to the buffet, I will enjoy bowls of Queen Anne’s and Bings soon. I need to check more often on the mulberries as the doves devour these delicious morsels before they even ripen. Summer is always a time for feasting on fresh fruits and vegetables. Lettuce, spinach, and Swiss Chard have continued to supply our dinner plates. Cabbage and arugula have gone to seed.

When Moraga Garden Farms had their spring sale, I bought several types of tomatoes, eggplants, and sunflowers. Sadly, the eggplants didn’t survive, but the tomatoes are growing taller, and the sunflowers are blooming. I planted sugar snap peas to twine up the cages of the tomatoes, and they are almost ready to be picked. With warmer days on the horizon, I am looking forward to a tomato growth spurt and a bountiful harvest. I admit that I am a tomato snob and will only eat organic, home-grown tomatoes because they are so flavorful.

Although I have a sprawling garden, I also enjoy container planting as containers add a touch of elegance and practicality. I plant sage, thyme, and scallions together in a pot located close to the kitchen. Separate containers of basil and parsley are also nearby. When I’m cooking, containers filled with herbs nearby make it easier for me to clip and snip what I need. Tomatoes planted in a large container have done very well for me because I can move them to get the maximum amount of sunlight, preferably 8 hours a day. Urns of succulents greet guests at the front door, while on the patio, eye-catching displays of perennials and annuals rotate through the seasons, offering year-long interest. Containers make it easy to indulge your gardening passions when space is at a premium. Grow a mixture of flowers, herbs, and vegetables to be rewarded with a movable feast for your eyes and stomach.

As we spring into summer, protect yourself from ticks. Because I was weeding in tall grass, I had two tick bites before mid-May. There are approximately 850 species of this blood-thirsty parasite living in all parts of the world. While ticks can drop off animals like deer and occasionally survive on less hospitable surfaces like parking lots, they're far more likely to survive for extended periods in wooded or grassy areas. Many species perch on the edges of grass stems or leaves on the ground, waiting for indications of a nearby potential host (me). In favorable conditions, ticks can live weeks, months, or even up to a year. To reduce your chances of tick bites, wear clothing treated with permethrin. Spray yourself with a deterrent with the active ingredient of DEET. Remember that ticks can also be carried indoors on your pets and clothing. After being outdoors, inspect yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks. Check your hair, take a shower, wash your clothes, and if you find a tick, remove it immediately.

I am grateful for my garden and my library. The new book I’m writing will bring my total of published works to a dozen. I’ll let you know when it’s available. In the meantime, let’s keep digging deep.

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Father’s Day, too!

Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener Guide for June

APPLY bug spray, preferably DEET, before working in the garden or hiking. Ticks are ubiquitous this season.

DEEP soak trees when you notice leaf stress. My two mega magnolias start losing leaves when they are thirsty. Get a deep-soaking wand and give your affected trees a drink when necessary.

WALK with old socks through Forget-Me-Not flowers as they are going to seed. Your socks will fill with the seeds. Plant your socks wherever you want tiny blue spring flowers to emerge next year.

DEADHEAD roses as the blooms fade, and you’ll have glorious sprays until next January. You need to be diligent and cut off the dead flowers weekly.

CLEAN patio furniture and scrub last year’s cushions.

FUEL the flight of hummingbirds with this homemade nectar recipe. Mix ¼ cup refined white sugar with 1 cup boiling water. Do not add food coloring. Cool, fill your feeder and wait for your friendly flyers to arrive.

TAKE photos of your garden in the late afternoon when the lighting is softer.

WATER your landscape in the early morning or evening to give your plants a good drink. Watering deeply and infrequently is the key.

SPRAY aphids with a mixture of dish soap and water at the first signs of infestation. Roses, hellebores, azaleas, mandevilla, and other plants are all susceptible.

SCATTER organic snail and slug bait throughout the garden as these mollusks are active. Slugo works well.

BUY dad a garden gadget for Father’s Day. I love my newest weeding tool, the CobraHead.

CLEAN out the yellowed, dried daffodil and Naked lady leaves. Daffodils will bloom again late winter/early spring next year, while Naked lady lilies will sprout this summer.

CONTACT Honey Homes to book a service with a professional Handyman to spruce up your home, patio, or garden for the summer. Use this code for $250 discount: https://honeyh.me/eXEn . Live easily this summer with a Honey Homes Handyman!

READ a book this week. Books are like gardens in your pocket. You will enjoy Growing with the Goddess Gardener, available at www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the graduates. May you continue to bloom.

For more gardening advice for all seasons, check out Growing with the Goddess Gardener at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books.

Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3, which was just honored as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org .

Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at https://www.StarStyleRadio.com. Her best-selling children’s series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures, is available at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com https://www.CynthiaBrian.com

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See more photos at https://cynthiabrian.substack.com/p/spring-into-summer