It's the end of July

Isn't summer nice

I don't know who put these in my garden

Brassica city starring Too Many Collards

Stuff just grows here

Glamour Shots

Before I knew anything about gardening - much less ornamental and perennial gardening - a florist I knew arranged flowering forsythia as a table centerpiece at our wedding reception. I couldn't believe I was looking at what was essentially blooming sticks. In those days, my idea of home decor was random groupings of bare sticks throughout the house, so forsythia was an amazement to me. I decided then that I would one day own a home in order to have my very own forsythia planted near the front door.

Well my friends, I've done it. Today I am enjoying a first meager bloom of my wildest dreams.

The Archpriest Jonathan has assured me that the bloom will get better year by year, so I'm resisting the disappointment in this pathetic show.

A Grateful Heart

I know now - more than ever before - that I garden because, in gardening, I am a part of the strength of life. Life is surprising, unashamed, and most of all, tenacious.

It's enough for me to watch my plants grow and thank God for them, but then,

HEY,

they give me food to eat.

my beet box

beautiful pink Rose de Bern heirlooms

a gorgeous mini-harvest

Sweet Pea Currant - tiny and fantastic

A "mass planting" (3) of globe amaranth

The illustrious Scarlet Runner Bean. Pink to purple seeds hiding in there

Bees can't resist

Provider green beans - kids dig 'em

resident bloom-toucher