Gardening Through June Gloom

It’s June Gloom in California, right on the heels of May Gray. These distinctly un-summery weather patterns are caused by cool air getting trapped under warm air between the ocean and the mountains, creating weeks of overcast skies while the rest of the northern hemisphere enjoys the arrival of summer.

While some of my plants have been sulking in the chilly weather, others have soldiered on, growing, blooming, and maybe even fruiting (looking at you, lemon!). Despite my grumbling, I’ve enjoyed a few lovely evenings on the balcony, beholding the progress my plants have made since early spring.

In the last couple of days, the temperatures have risen slightly and the sun has graced us with afternoon appearances, just in time for the Summer Solstice on June 21st. To mark the occasion, here are the garden developments that have brightened up this final stretch of spring.

Blooms despite the gloom

The cloud cover didn’t stop the nasturtiums, marigolds, and cosmos I sowed back in February from getting on with their lives: they have all flowered. Perhaps they would have bloomed more exuberantly had the weather been warmer, but we’ll never know!

Unfortunately, some critter (I suspect squirrels) decimated my bright orange marigold blossoms before they reached their full, poofy glory. It’s not the end of the world and there are plenty of younger buds on the plants. I just hope I can protect them from more senseless squirrel violence.

On the perennial front, my rose, lavender, salvia, and even cacti didn’t let the weather keep them down. My little serpent cactus produced its neon orange flower about two months behind schedule, but better late than never! I bought it at the Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs four years ago and I’m not sure how much longer the main trunk will last, though it has a little baby growing at its feet.

Native news

Earlier this spring, I posted about sourcing and growing native plants in containers and the ones I’ve chosen for my balcony. I’m pleased to report that they’re all alive and well! The big news is that my Aquilegia formosa (western columbine) finally bloomed in its second year and WOW, what a stunner. I had not realized that blooming would entail sending up a four-foot stalk of flowers that bounce in the wind like bright little lanterns.

The scrappy Heuchera cylindrica that I planted under the table has lushly filled out its shallow, shady pot. My Clarkia amoena, a.k.a. “farewell to spring,” just bloomed in a timely fashion this week. Plus, the aphids that had been plaguing her have attracted ladybugs! These adorable yet vicious predators keep aphid populations in check. Their presence is a huge win for a small balcony garden and a lesson in letting nature do its thing.

Also, because I have no self-control, in May I purchased some lovely native additions to the balcony: California fuchsia, sticky monkeyflower, and yerba buena. I created a composition with all three in a large terracotta pot lined with a plastic trash bag to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly (with a drainage hole cut in the bottom, naturally). So far, they seem happy and healthy. I added more yerba buena as a spiller to a few planters and I’m obsessed with its trailing tendrils and minty, spicy fragrance.

Sulky, yet resilient seedlings

I hardened off my basil and chamomile seedlings several weeks ago, but I ought to have kept them indoors. They haven’t thrived in the lackluster temperatures and it’s allowed them to fall prey to slugs and other munchers. I think they’ll pull through once I pot them up, if this warm spell continues.

An even more unfortunate event befell my cayenne pepper seedlings. After weeks of tending to them indoors with a level of care normally reserved for actual children, I got distracted and left them on the kitchen table unsupervised after a water. Realizing my mistake within minutes, I rushed back, but it was already too late: my cat, Dawn, had chewed every single one down to stems. This was worse than the time she took a bite out of every basil start; this was a massacre.

I love Dawn dearly, but in that moment, we were not friends. I placed the mauled seedlings back on their window shelves, holding on to a dim hope that they might recover. Miraculously, within a week they had new leaves, because nature is amazing. They’re doing alright now, but weeks behind where they would be otherwise. Only time will tell if they’ll recover quickly and fully enough to produce fruit before the days get too short.

June jobs

Getting down to business, here are the jobs I’ve recently completed or will soon complete within the month of June:

• Plant out remaining seedlings. Even if they’ve been chewed on, I can’t wait much longer to plant out my basil, chamomile, and peppers if I want to harvest them this year.
• Plant dahlia tubers. It’s my first time growing dahlias, and I’m already experimenting. While in most climates folks plant them out in May, I planted mine a bit later to account for our warm autumn. Will report back.
• Make way, make way! With space at a premium, I regularly assess my plants to see what’s no longer serving the balcony. Although my nasturtiums bloomed profusely, the foliage yellowed and shriveled up, making for sorry plants that’ll have to go. The snapdragons I impulse-bought weren’t the color and shape that I expected, so bye-bye to them too. More room for basil and chamomile!
• Deadhead ruthlessly. Now that more things are coming into bloom, I need to be less sentimental about removing spent flowers. The more diligently I deadhead, the more flowers I’ll have!

Over the course of me writing this post, the weather has taken a turn from dismal to halfway decent. No matter what happens with the forecast, I’ll try to stop my grumbling and support my plants as they become their best summer selves. Farewell to spring!