June is rose month in Connecticut, and just like that…the first flush is winding down! Yesterday it showered all day long and there is another inch of blessed rain in the rain gauges. This lovely rainfall is going to be a big boon to my water bill this summer if it keeps up. But, with the rain comes soggy rose noggins which shortens the life of the blossoms. My mission for today is to get as much dead-heading done as I can. This will stimulate the second flush in a few weeks.

Deadheading is essentially pruning and pruning always gives a clear message to our roses to get growing! With the proper amount of water and a fertilizer of your choice (I like to use Osmocote), the plants will convert the sunlight into energy which feeds the plants, as well.

Deadheading is a great job in the garden. For shrub roses and floribundas, just trim off the spent bloom at the bottom of its stem that joins the plant. That’s it: the new growth begins almost immediately and in a couple of weeks the blooms return. Hybrid teas and grandifloras should be trimmed off to an outward-facing bud at a place on the cane which is strong enough to support another blooming stem growing from it.

Minis and MiniFloras have a tendency to put up big sprays, so they can be deadheaded in a similar method to hybrid teas…to an outward-facing bud below the spray you are pruning off. Then apply some Elmer’s Glue to the tops of the newly cut canes to prevent borers from drilling holes in your rose stems. Pull out your little rake and big dustpan and rake up the spent petals from the ground and voila! Your rose garden has a fresh, clean start for next month’s bloom!

It has been a busy month for me. When I speak to garden clubs and other groups, I always offer them a day of their choice in June to come to my gardens. They have their choice of morning or evening to bring a picnic lunch with them and have a house tour, a garden tour, and a picnic in the shade. The evening groups really like to have a glass of wine while enjoying the gardens. We’ve had some wonderful groups over the years and this June was no exception. I would like to thank all the lovely ladies and gentlemen who attended. It makes me happy to share the beauty of my gardens with anyone who would like to stop by!

The big news from here is that we lost Rahjah on June 9. In his last two days, he really plummeted and we knew his time had come. It hurt to let him go. In the end, we only had him for an extra month. Although I am thankful for those four weeks, I had really hoped we would have him for many more months. I have his ashes here with me, and eventually, he will be in the garden he loved for his almost ten years. I still miss him every day and I talk to him often.

Last Tuesday, we brought Missie in for her check-up and shots. While we were there, I met a black kitty with a pair of two-week-old kittens. On Thursday, Doreen from Dr. P’s office called and said if I wanted them there would be no adoption charge. We brought them home, and I named the black cat June. The kittens will be named later. They are comfortably living in our screened Delta kitty carrier, but today the kitties are three weeks old and can almost climb out on their own! When that happens, Junie will be very busy. After a loud beginning, Missie and Junie are tolerating each other pretty well and my hope is they will come to like each other.

The day after Raj passed, my son Chip brought over his four kids, Chris, Austin, Adele, and Emma. This was wonderful for me, as I was busy making lunch and dinner all day long and watching Adele and Em in the kiddy pool in between. They got ready to leave around nine, just before darkness settled in. Adele (5) held my hand and asked, “Grammy, may I take a rose home?” I brought her outside and she chose ‘Le Comte de Chambord,’ a super-sweet Portland Damask rose. We brought it in, I scraped off the prickles, and handed Adele her rose. She smiled up at me while breathing in the fragrance. She didn’t speak a word, but her eyes spoke volumes!

Then, Emma (3) asked if she could pick out a flower. She held my hand while we went out front and chose a purply ‘Outta the Blue.’ When I got Emma’s rose in her tube and handed it to her, she said ‘My rose smells best!’ Of course, Adele said the same thing…and then she said, ‘Emma, just don’t eat your rose!’ Emma twisted herself in righteous indignation and stated, ‘I don’t eat frowers!!!’ Of course, she’d forgotten about the time she ate her rose like a lollipop on her way home, at 18 months!

So now, I’m off to the garden. With any luck, I’ll get most of my deadheading done today and then I can begin mulching. We are on Windsor’s garden tour on July 15th, so I have my work cut out for me!! If you’re in the neighborhood, swing by! I always have extra pruners if you’d like to help! By the way, the rose above is a miniflora called ‘Fitzhugh’s Diamond.’ Minifloras are gorgeous…maybe this will be the year for you to grow them, too.