Greetings friends! Sending everyone very warm greetings from Finland this lovely Saturday morning.

When I say warm, I really do mean it! Beside the abundant kind words and shared mutual gardening interest, which flocks us all together upon the Six on Saturday gardening theme – it’s beyond time to talk about Finland’s crazy weather! To say we are smoldering here, isn’t far from the truth! Hectares of charred landscape are all that remains in a few places in our region. Dry soil conditions have worsened to the point where the continuous yellow warning of potentially dangerous forest fire conditions we’ve had since April have now been amped up to the orange warning system, which is now in force: dangerous and pronounced forest fire conditions. Without a raindrop in sight, relief seems non-existent. Compounded by lack of rainfall, the temperatures have been soaring, 29c the last couple of days in southern Finland has been just tolerable for me – any higher, and I’m afraid for how that will affect everyone from the home bound elderly, outdoor laborers, and of course farmers throughout Finland.

I should be out there right now, laden down with two 10l watering cans, meandering around to the next lucky plant recipient, offering it a quenching drink of water. I talk to my plants, and to some of them I’ve had to say, “I will try to get to you soon, don’t worry. You look good, you’re doing fine, but these other guys are really needing a drink now too, I’ll be back!” Sometimes, I remember to come back to them, often times I get distracted by the needs of another plant. By the time the sun is really kicking out the UVs and the heat is sweltering, the water mule (ME) has to take a break and of course I’m never near enough to getting everything watered – and this is the story of my life – then it just starts up the next day. But hey, other things are happening now too!

Just so happens that Tahvoset – the largest, or one of the largest national plant producing wholesalers in the country decided to hold their sometime yearly limited public event. Usually it’s one-day only, this year it’s spread over both Friday (yesterday) and today, Saturday. They have EVERYTHING – trial versions, proven winners, easy elegance, etc, etc. Conifers, perennials, climbers, flowering bushes, shrubs, fruit trees & plants, and deciduous tree stock. If you have a plant or tree in mind, Tahvoset has it. As they supply nurseries, and both K and S branded shops, with plant stock, their volume is enormous. During the public event sale, prices are slashed – so huge bargains can be had. So you’d think it would be madness for us to go there and buy more plants to bring home! Yes, you would be mad to that – so that’s what we did! Before we went, I told Pekka that I thought adding more items to my watering list was asking for trouble. When a 187cm tall man weighing 107kgs hugs you and says it will be okay, you tend to agree with them, so off we went. Yes, there were purchases made! We should be okay, the weather forecast is rain for Juhannus! (hahahaha)

The countdown to Juhannus has been a tagline for me once before, and you can count down with every Finn by clicking the countdown link – and it really seemed then, as it does now, that many Finns go especially nuts for Juhannus and the celebration of summer. What’s not to love about that! For those of you who aren’t Finnish, let me welcome you to the joyous and bacchanal aspects of a Finnish midsummer experience. Some have equated Juhannus (St. John’s Day) (Summer Solstice) as the 2nd most popular holiday in Finland, after Christmas, some would say it’s the most popular holiday. Either way you slice it, Juhannus is a big deal. The day before, which is always a Friday – shops close early – and that means that going shopping for food & beverage becomes an other-worldly endeavor which I now just call ‘end of days’ shopping. The mad rush to stockpile for the weekend-long party, which is a time to relax, but mostly a time to enjoy, kind of holiday first culminates in enduring the end of days scramble through the grocery aisles. Planning ahead to avoid the rush is my best advice.

Many Finns have a summer cottage, and everyone who does flocks to their getaway cottage during Juhannus. Family & friends will gather together there for good times & good food. There will always be a point for taking a sauna, whether the cottage is waterside or situated in the forest. Apartment dwellers have a community sauna and a time slot! It’s not uncommon to see the wispy twigs (Vihta / Vasta ) of birches gathered in bunches for individual use and as gifts for friends. Swatting yourself or others with the twigs in the sauna is thought to invigorate the experience. It’s fun either way!

The mainstay of Juhannus is always the bonfire, and the white night – nightless night. Being the longest day of the year results in the sun not setting for much of us in the Nordic region. Here, in southern Finland, we can expect to have a near nightless experience. With a few days left until next Saturday, we are nearly at 19 hours of daylight per day – 18 hours and 57 minutes – today and still gaining minutes of daylight until Saturday. Bonfires being an important aspect of the whole Juhannus experience is quite Pagan – there’s even Maypole dances in some areas like Helsinki but not everywhere, and there are all other manner of ancient games and delights which can be enjoyed especially at the large capital region celebrations, including seeing the traditional regional clothing variations, blacksmithing, and traditional dancing performances.

Helsinki has numerous Juhannus celebration sites to choose from, and many are very large. The celebrations nearly always take place around water, so nearly every lakeside throughout the country has a celebration taking place there somewhere. With over 187,000 lakes throughout Finland, finding a celebration site isn’t too hard. Helsinki has a neat tradition of having the main bonfire set by a newly married couple, who have won the right to do the lighting after a raffle. Setting out upon the water in a small canoe or rowboat – the newlyweds paddle towards the bonfire platform and set it alight with a flaming torch. Now that’s what I call memorable! Can you imagine being the raffle winners? Being so nervous in front of practically the whole town, and with such an important duty as setting the main bonfire alight!

The years-past groans and memes about the Finnish month of June being nothing but constant rain/and or a torment of mosquitoes and to expect Juhannus down pours seems to be a dream we could only hope would happen – minus the mosquitoes! Climate change sucks ya’ll!

Considering the current state of things, whether there will be a bonfire for Juhannus is probably very concerning to many Finns – it won’t be something I will be especially disappointed about – but I wouldn’t mind being a bit distracted from my gardening concerns for just one day of bacchanal indulgence. Controlled fires only, please! Despite being parched and somehow still powering through – this is what is happening in our Finnish garden today.

One

Crazy Finnish Weather – usually weird or funny – now seriously alarming.

Two

Paeonia ‘Pink Hawaiian Coral’ is just beginning to open. This is a new peony variety I added to the gem garden last year. I was so delighted to turn around and see this shell pink color among a few other flowering gems now blooming away.

Three

These Papaver were here when we arrived. I divided and scattered a small patch, spreading them around to different places several years ago. These double forms are so blousy and sensuous. I love the color, the petal texture and everything about them!

Four

Tanacetum coccineum – Painted Daisy

We have two varieties blooming away in several clumps within the gem garden. They’ve all really spiked to new heights in their first year and are all nearing a meter tall.

Five

Rhodos and Azaleas

We have quite a few varieties and in so many wonderful colors.

Six

Rosa Rugosa ‘Agnes’

There are several roses blooming – which always brings me the greatest joy. Roses are really my fav garden plants. I’m not typically too adoring of yellow roses, or yellow flowers in general and this is about as yellow as I can appreciate. Agnes has become a real favorite, and being very cold hardy means I can rest pretty easy in knowing she will survive Finnish winters and be there year after year.

I hope your garden is bringing you lots of joy as well as many new & happy surprises. I’d like to once again thank everyone who stops by to say hello, and/or likes the posts. THAT is joy in and of itself to know that someone appreciates the time and effort it took to stop everything we are all so busy doing to share our gardens with others. We are all friends here! Stop by the SOS moderator Jim’s Garden Ruminations site for more details on how to participate in the weekly Six on Saturday theme and of course to see all the other wonderful contributions and posts from around the world.

Until next time ❤