June Gardening

This is absolutely the first year where I feel as if patience and persistence have paid off in our front gardens. They were created in, I think, 2008. Adding things has been a slow process, but now - resoundingly rewarding.

{Also - it didn't hurt that I abandoned vegetable gardening this year to focus on flowers (quiet, heartfelt yipee kick!).}

I have also learned to move plants around, until they are set-up in a spot where they can thrive. That bee balm? {The pink fluttery flower in second photo from the top.} It was close to death last year under the walnut and now is as tall as me. {Not that I'm much in stature, but from my short perspective, it looks like a victory.}

And there is a rose. A yellow rose. The tag described the scent as mild anise. It just smells old-fashioned to me - and that has been what I was hoping for in our garden.

We also camped out in the garden over the weekend. We have this tent that I call the Taj Mah Tent - it is ridiculously huge. *But,* - it has an open, mesh ceiling. So we fell asleep, after a bonfire, to shooting stars and lightening bugs.

Also:

We've been doing a lot of swimming, reading (Flannery O'Connor, John Banville, Room, A Lesson Before Dying), working on the house, keeping up with routines. Willa and I have started the Little House series. I forgot about how much detail Laura Ingalls Wilder went into on topics such as hunting and making bullets. You can imagine the questions!

Love this new fabric from Alexander Henry. {I had to splurge and buy a yard.}

We've been trying to make the best of the season's vegetables. I made a ragout the other night with leeks, onions, peas and mushrooms over polenta that we enjoyed. Last night was a garlic scape pesto sandwich with tomatoes and mozzarella. I like cooking, sure. But I truly become giddy when we get to eat out and there is no clean-up or planning or nothing. Our favorite spot to go to these days is here.