Drifting into Summer

So, here it is June and I skipped May altogether, too busy enjoying it to write about it. It was lovely, apple blossoms, wild pears in bloom, golden forsythias, birds flocking in, warblers, finches, woodpeckers, and lately hummingbirds. The world this last month has turned so green it reminds me of the tales of Ireland and 1000 shades of green.

Finally having warmer days, though the nights can still get chilly. As soon as it warmed up a bit, the blackflies emerged from wherever they lurk, so garden planting has been a challenge. I just put in most of my vegetable garden seeds yesterday, which is a bit late. Planted Swiss chard, Sugar Ann peas, gai lon (a sort of Chinese broccoli), golden beets, Scarlet Runner pole beans, Sunburst scallop squash, some dill and a few calendula and sweet peas for colour. I've had poor success with beets so hope these ones do better. My runner bean tipi is a little crooked so here's hoping it stays up, can't seem to get it quite straight.

Today I put two cherry tomato plants (Sweet Baby Girl) in an old lobster crate that I have filled with soil and compost. I tucked them in behind some zinnias started a while back that are still tiny but coming along. In the herb garden, the chives are blossoming out already and the bee balm is spreading madly. I have a big tarragon plant in the veg. garden - lovely herb, tastes wonderful with eggs, scrambled or whatever. Makes a nice vinegar too.

Soaked my one and only terracotta pot in water for several hours, then planted it with some new annuals I'm trying this year. My sister sells plants from her bookshop in spring, so I picked up a bright yellow suntunia (a lot like the Million Bells small petunias), a pink snapdragon with a yellow centre and a new (to me at least) plant called a Cascade Centradenia. It has lovely bronze tinged leaves and a small bright pink blossom, somewhat trailing. Put those three together in the terracotta planter & they look pretty happy together. Also got one of my favourite mints, the chocolate, which has a delicious fragrance and makes a great herb tea, especially combined with lemon flavour herbs.

On a walk the other day I noticed the roadsides are full of bunchberries, like carpets of white stars in the grassy side of the ditches. Forget-me-nots are in bloom and my neighbour's bridal wreath spirea is beautiful now. The lilacs are just beginning to open, and we're having a sunny week so they may last a while. Several homes along the road have old lilacs that are as big as trees, but still blooming well. If heaven has a perfume, I think it might be lilac.

One more week of school, the dreaded (especially math) exams and then summer vacation begins. Lovely to turn off the alarm clock and wake up when you wish (or when the cat wants breakfast, which is likely to be earlier).

Wishing everyone a safe and happy start to this summer and gardening season, this year of our Lord two thousand and nine.

If you would be happy for a week take a wife;

if you would be happy for a month kill a pig;

but if you would be happy all your life

plant a garden.

(mid-17th century)

with apologies for the sexism & to pigs,

there is wisdom to this.