Just couldn;t stand it...

I've been doing my best to not think about the garden, as its hard to face that I'm not up to doing all I want to do there. But when I went outside to enjoy some sunshine, I saw the Hinoaki red gooseberries hanging there, all ripe and ready. A few weeks ago I made currant jam, and it set me back a few days from the resulting lameness. but I decided to pick as many gooseberries as I could from a seated posistion and succeeded in sugaring and freezing two containers full. Oscar has asked that I leave the boysenberries to him, which I'll gladly do.

July 4th at House Bonsai

There's a garden here in town created by my friend Sherri. Its a wonderful blessing for any of us it welcomes. You can feel the spirit wrap right 'round you while you sit and listen and fill yourself up with the beauty.
She tends it carefully, and most importantly allows it to grow its own way when it really wants to.

Here are some pictures taken Tuesday, and a few more taken earlier this year.

Another turn on the wheel

Summer Solstice is behind us, and harvest time is gearing up.
The currants look so luscious right now! I'm thinking some currant jam.. Yum! I might mix the red and champagne currants together, although seperate would be beautiful too.

The Monarda (Bee Balm or Bergamot) is beautiful. These intense red blooms, looking like a circle of Red-legged dancers waving thier legs in the air :-}

The hollyhocks are blooming, behind the bee balm near the daisies. The first wave of roses are done, and I'm looking forward to the rose hips I'll gather near the end of september. The lemon balm is SO ready for harvest. not certain when I'll do that. The air needs to be dry. I do like lemon balm tea in the winter though.

The golden raspberries and black bramble berries are in full swing, but the Boysenberries and the gooseberries aren't quite there yet.

I planted a Pineapple sage for the humming birds, I expect it will bloom next month sometime. But the plant looks healthy, as does the mountain mint. I hope to have enough to store for tea this year.

The pink Hibiscus plant is HUGE but Ihavent gotten close enough to it to check for buds yet.

Some images from this year and last: