It’s a clear, fresh summer morning. There is a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves of my bleeding heart plants. The buds of the flowers are turning into vibrant floral gems. The way they visually pop up against their green backsplash reminds me of a strand of garnet gemstones.
I breathe in the cool air. We are well on our way into summer. The robins have been dropping into my garden to find dried bits of this or that to add to their nests. Tulips and daffodils have strutted their glorious yellows, pinks, and peaches, now giving way to my rainbow of lilies. One wonders if their primary intention is to bring cheer.
My peonies displayed tight little orbs that burst into the iconic peony blossom we all adore. One of my favorite sightings are the mature plantings of billowing soft pink peonies. These often find themselves migrating into a vase on my kitchen counter.
Every year I eagerly await the availability of fresh-from-the-garden vegetables. I love eating just harvested asparagus that goes straight from garden to grill, or biting into radishes dipped in crunchy sea salt, or even stepping out to clip the invincible French tarragon, which I like to combine with chicken to make Poulet a l’Estragon.
My sugar snap peas have poked through the soil and wound their way up my fence line, now giving me a nightly harvest of deliciously crunchy pods. The garlic is standing full and tall. We’ve started enjoying garlic scapes in everything from pesto to grilled pizza. One of my favorite ways to use garlic scapes is in bouquets. Their curly tops are darling when standing out above a vase of garden flowers.
The fruit trees have finished their blossoming. Apple blossoms, which are distinctive for their size, have fallen off. In a few months, these same branches will be laden with juicy red apples. Is there anything better than the crunchy sweet apple from the local orchard, or even better, from your backyard?
Some of my favorite flowers to plant from seed are zinnias, sunflowers, nasturtiums, bachelor buttons, and cosmos. This year I am adding California poppies to my list.
This is the season of new beginnings. When planted, tiny seeds grow, blossom, and bring joy and sustenance. Joy to me and sustenance to the many pollinating insects.
Crisp cool mornings, sunny warm afternoons, emerging greenery, the smells of lilacs, the intense green of the grass, and the sightings of new birds are just a few of the things I’m soaking in this summer.