Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up June: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Welcome to My June Garden!

Welcome to my Long Island zone 7b garden. Located on the south shore of the island, the weather for June has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride with days ranging from the comfortable mid-70s', followed by days in the mid-upper 90's with high humidity, making time spent outside limited. The late afternoons and evenings do bring cooler temperatures, a time for me to venture out into the garden and collect my thoughts, since the garden is my happy place. 

Welcoming Committee

To begin the tour, the infamous welcoming committee is here to greet you. Today's beverage of choice is iced tea, or perhaps some lemonade, since the temperatures are a bit warm! We are going to start the tour with some views from a couple of weeks ago, because we just could not pass them up!

Rhododendron in Southern "Secret" Garden

This was the best year I have ever seen for the Rhododendron in the back secret garden. It is something I see when I wander around the back corner and caught it just in time for some photos, as it was bursting with an abundance of blooms. Since the blooms are not long-lived, I got a quick capture to share with you.

Allium 'Globemaster' Pool Perimeter

The Allium was blooming at the same time, so we had to catch them at their best as well. The blooms are now starting to fade, but they are still amazing, and the Daylilies are starting to chime in, which we will visit later.

Patio Border

It has also been an amazing year for Peony 'Bartzella'. It's blooms have been more enormous than ever! It is accompanied by Salvia 'May Night', Mugo Pine 'Slowmound', Spirea 'Candy Corn', Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple and Lamb's Ear.

Itoh Peony 'Bartzella'

Here is a single bloom up close! 'Bartzella is a hybrid cross between a shrub and tree form of Peony.

Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves'

Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves' is also abundant with greenish-white blooms this year. Juniperus 'Gold Lace' resides next to it.

Driveway Border

Following along to the driveway border and joining Weeping Norway Spruce, Spirea 'Magic Carpet' is blooming along with Salvia 'Caradonna' and Japanese Iris. The Japanese Iris are from the original Iris patch that my mom planted when I was just a child.

Front Lawn

Along the front lawn are island beds with a mixture of evergreens, flowering shrubs and perennials, including Weeping Japanese Maple, Blue Atlas Cedar, Mugo Pine, Japanese Andromeda, Anna's Magic Ball Arborvitae and Hosta.

Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz'

Back around to the patio and pool area, Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz' is blooming away...

Hen's & Chicks Succulent Grouping

and the Hen's & Chicks with Sedum 'Angelina' (Stonecrop) are doing well.

Allium 'Globemaster' and Daylily 'Stella D Oro'

It is June, so Daylily 'Stella D Oro' is now blooming at the base of Allium 'Globemaster' in the pool border. Even though the blooms of the Allium are fading a bit, I still enjoy the structure they provide throughout the entire summer.

Daylily 'Stella D Oro'

Here are the Daylily blooms up close, and also the bright deep pink blooms of Spirea 'Candy Corn'!

Spirea Blooms!

I love this newer cultivar of Spirea, as it is more compact, has wonderful foliage and blooms, and the new spring growth pushes out fiery red twisted stems.

Patio Planters

Along the patio the hydrangea in planters are getting ready to bloom, with the garden in the distance...

A Friendly Visitor!

and this little Song Sparrow visitor is not shy at all. He baths playfully in the water on the patio after I water the Hydrangeas each day.

Patio Planters

As we approach the end of the tour, here are more patio planters with a mix of evergreens, flowering shrubs and succulents, which are cold hardy enough to stay out and be enjoyed all year.

Herb/Vegetable Garden

Last, but not least is my husband's herb and vegetable garden which he uses for cooking. I taught him how to set it up and he planted it himself this year with great pride! I have made a gardener out of him after all these years!

Thanks for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my June garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

It's time to plan your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved. 

Hens and Chicks: The Plant, the Story...the Legend!

Hens and Chicks with Sedum Angelina (Stonevrop)

The Plant: Today's feature plant, Hens and Chicks (scientific name Sempervivum) is an easy to grow outdoor succulent that is not only drought tolerant, but cold hardy to USDA zone 6, and the perfect selection for xeriscaping, planting along rock walls, along a pool border, or grown with other succulents for a decorative touch to the garden. While being drought tolerant, these evergreen perennials are also low maintenance, and supply interest throughout the year. Plant Hens and Chicks in a location will full sun and a well-drained soil, and they will thrive. In addition, these evergreen succulents attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. There is some mystery however; where did the name "Hens and Chicks" come from? Why aren’t they referred to as goose and goslings, or pig and piglets or duck and ducklings?

Hens and Chicks Poolside

The Story: Now it is time to solve the mystery! The attention catching name, Hens and chicks, came from the way they propagate. The larger mother plant is called the "hen," and as it multiplies it produces an abundance of tiny offspring through lateral stems, known as "chicks," that sprout up and cluster closely around it. Hens and chicks produce tall, thick stalks crowned with star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in summer that signal the death of the mother plant. This is only part of the life cycle though, as the mother plant has already produced several offspring, and the “chicks” will continue to grow and divide after the “mother” rosette dies. 

Hens and Chicks with Rosettes

The Legend: Being cultivated as far back as ancient Roman times, these plants were grown in vases in at the entry of a home as a symbol for prosperity. There was also a belief that Hens and Chicks would protect against lightning, as their rosette-shaped leaves resembled the bearded, crowned face of the Roman god Jupiter. During the 8th century across Western Europe, Frankish King Charlemagne ordered his subjects to plant Hens and Chicks on their thatched-roof homes as a protection from lightening and possible fire, as their water retaining, fire-resistant leaves acted as an insulator and fire retardant. In European folklore, planting Hens and Chicks near the front door was believed to bring good luck, love, and fertility to the household. Scottish folklore claimed the plant could ward off black sorcery, and in rural areas of Wales and parts of England, the plant was believed to protect against storms, while also welcoming prosperity.

Hens and Chicks Poolside Rock Garden

Overall, these versatile and incredibly hardy succulents are low maintenance, drought tolerant, pollinator friendly, known for surviving freezing temperatures outdoors, and basically thrive on neglect! I hope you enjoyed your visit, and until we meet again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee Miller @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2026. All rights reserved.