Lilac bushes at Derzhavin Manor, 6 June
The beginning of summer in our city is lilacs in bloom. May is the bird cherry and apple trees, and early June is the lilacs. It is probably the most beautiful time of the year. At least, that's how I perceive it. June is long days and short nights, it's long evenings and slowly melting sunset colours. When I was in school, it was the time when school ended and holidays came and the long summer days were filled with yard games and trips to the beach. When I was at university, it was session time - having passed another exam, we would go for a walk on the embankments. A whole summer was ahead of us - and the subtle smell of lilacs seemed to promise us that it would be a beautiful summer.
Lilac bushes at Derzhavin Manor, 6 June
There are several places in our city where the alleys of lilacs are particularly beautiful. These include Pavlovsky Park, Field of Mars and some other gardens. Perhaps the most interestingly planted lilacs are on the Field of Mars. The flower arrangement is made up of lilac bushes of different varieties. All the lilacs are purple, but the shades of purple vary from pale lilac to deep purple.
Lilac bushes on Field of Mars, 12 June
Lilac bushes are grouped not only by colour but also by flowering time. The result is a flowering calendar of sorts. If you notice that the lilac bushes near the central lawn of the Field of Mars have finished blooming but the flowers on bushes in smaller clumps have blossomed, it means that the lilacs are nearing the end of their blossoming period and that summer is approaching its climax. Peonies are traditionally planted in flowerbeds near the centre lawn. This beautiful flower doesn't make you feel too sad about the vanishing lilac clouds. Instead of lilacs, you can admire the white and pink balls of peonies.
Lilac bushes near Knez-Vladimir Cathedral, 21 June
This year the spring turned out to be late and lilac blooms lasted longer than usual. As a rule, lilacs finish blooming in the 20s of June. But this year it lasted until the very last days of the month.
Lilac bushes near Knez-Vladimir Cathedral, 21 June
I went for a walk to the Yusupov Garden at the end of the month and found several branches of blossoming lilacs. The flowers on these branches had partly fallen off and those that remained were pale, but they were still in bloom.
Lilac bushes in the garden of the Yusupovsky Palace, 29 June
The main ornament of the Yusupov Garden is the white rose bushes. Pink rose hips are widespread in our city, they often grow in flowerbeds, white ones are much rarer. In the garden of Yusupovsky Palace there is a white rose hip.
Rosehip bushes in the garden of the Yusupovsky Palace, 29 June
Yusupovsky Palace garden, entrance to the museum
And a little further away I saw a bed of peonies. It's been a long and beautiful June, but it's over and it's being replaced by a hot July.
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| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
I like peonies! Your shots of them are so beautiful!
I also like the other flowers. They are all so pretty!
Peonies are balls of perfect beauty:) Thank you very much!
It must smell nice there. I like the idea of long days when I live in a city with season before until I experienced the first winter.
In winter, long nights come and you want to go into hibernation like bears do:) But summer is beautiful! The days are long and the smell of flowers is very pleasant indeed!