The Dog Days of Summer...

 Just a bit of catching up as Summer rolls out of July. The skies, with all the drama of afternoon storms, hail, thunder, lightning (which one day I will be quick enough to capture), continue to amaze and inspire. I post some of the pics on Facebook, but, for the archives, I continue to post the majority of pics on the blog. It works for me. The garden has 'suddenly' filled out and feels like it is in full bloom. The plum tomatoes are heavy, but still green. The heirlooms are yellow striped and small, but sweet, and the peppers are coming in as well!  But, this year, having learned my lesson from last year, I have started making pesto now. Honestly, it is to die for, and so simple to make. I love the prep time, and then seeing/tasting/sharing. I have started drying the Greek oregano and the lavender!!! I was wrong about the bees. There were a couple @ the beginning, but there are no bees and it is a concern, as the garden should literally be humming w/ activity. This is a world wide problem. Here is a link to an article posted in the NY Times from May 2, of this year.

'And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not'.
Isa 58:11

NOTE: The last pics of the garden were from July 3...you can really see the growth from today's pics in comparison!!

And Grow She Will...

Golden Striped tomatoes..new one for me...

Greek oregano

Greek oregano...yields ALOT!!

Small leaf basil...very aromatic!!!!

 Thai basil

The ever delicate purple basil

Small, Greek, purple basil

This year, all basil....lots of pesto on the way!

Greek oregano, Greek basil, dill, cilantro, plum tomatoes

The garden. The garden is growing. The tomatoes are budding their delicate yellow flowers and the small green, yet to ripen plums and stripes are appearing. The basil, of all kinds, is flowering and I am being diligent about cutting back, a little at a time. The Greek oregano, grows low and spreads out, so I have left room for the oregano to do just that. The dill and cilantro are delicate, but hearty in their own rite and have a short life in the garden. They are being used on salmon and in salads. The sweet peppers are just starting to flower, a much later bloom, however, than the tomatoes. The bumblebees are returning, so there is a very low 'hum', and the spiders are building their webs from leaf to leaf, from stalk to stalk....good thing I am not afraid. It is the first week of July and thankfully, as impatient as I am, the garden is growing...more to come!

Jeremiah 29:5

'Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.'