Only a gardener would care...

It was a good weekend in the garden, despite the heat. It’s been a while since I’ve had an uncommitted weekend to tend to it (although I’m not complaining), and what a difference it made. I cleaned up “the edges” in the cottage garden, around the gate, the main sidewalk, the back door; pulled everything around the dahlias in preparation for their show of white; somewhat ruthlessly pulled much bergamot, which was taking over every empty space; continued the never-ending trimming of the buddleia; discovered (hopefully) the shoot of the calla lily (white, too) that I thought was a dud; and freshened up the mulch all along the way. About a 1000% difference in the look and feel.

I’m ever impressed with the geometry of garden spaces; the plans I was recently working on, with compass and ruler, were just a tapestry of tangents and intersections, circles and squares…just like life, I suppose. Here on Saturday, I added a small, narrow, linear bed along the side of the chicken yard that marks the passage from cottage garden/dining space to the production garden/fire space, and planted it with foxglove (for next year’s bloom). What an amazing effect that little bed has. It pulls you right into the production garden, and straight to the central angel.

In that garden, the tomatoes, peppers, and beans are taking off. Started picking peas, beets, and turnips. Most of the lettuce, except for the red heads, is bolting. Cauliflower and broccoli are all done. Already(?) scanning the catalogs for fall planting.

Daughter helped me to put cages around the last eight tomato plants tonight (more on the first eight tomorrow). It was way too late, they were way too big, but we got them on.

By this time it was dusk. I lit the torches and lumieres, and we reveled in a veritable ocean of fireflies in the surrounding fields. We dined al fresco on grilled pork chops (Scott’s) and broccoli steamed minutes after it was picked. I suggested that, for something different, we not put our napkins in our laps, but daughter rejected the idea.

All in all, it was just a magical evening. Summertime, and the living is fabulous!

P.S. BTW, three kittens have shown up here (or more likely, were born here). I started feeding them Saturday. Cute white-and-black ones. Need some homes.

P.P.S. The hazard of gardening here in this part of the world, where poison ivy is the next largest crop after soy beans and corn — I have patches of it virtually from head to toe.