flower love

I have three posts started and unfinished in my editing box and can't seem to get to writing anything of interest down this last week or more. Or is it finishing anything of interest? I've spent a lot of time thinking and knitting and being out and about with my kids. Taking walks and upicking and spending time with friends. We finished Watership Down. Started our first Harry Potter book. Sat on the patio. Looked at the roses and poppies. I've been watching the grass grow. Cut it. Watched it grow some more. It is the rainiest June ever (from what I've been told. Although to be fair and honest, June is *always* rainy here- just not always quite this rainy- a perk if you moved here for the rain, a shock if you did not. Or if you forget what the weather is like from year to year. Still, this year has been rainier and muddier than past Junes, that is for sure.)

I feel a little sad over the bolted and long gone kale and mesclun mix I planted what seems like an eternity ago. They would {no doubt} be thriving now if they hadn't gotten so excited about those few warm sunny days a few weeks ago and sent out flowers to announce their enthusiasm. My radicchio, however, is thriving, as are the peas. And the poppies. The roses are a little smooshed-in-looking in some places but thriving {still}. The lilies have been blooming longer than usual {it seems} and the buttercups are amazing!

I'm going to be perfectly honest here and admit that aside from some of the cooler month veggies, I actually prefer growing flowers to most vegetables. I went through a whole thing over the last several years where I only planted vegetables (the strict, efficiently-practical side of me strongly exerted itself, peaked, and finally softened again, allowing for flowers to poke their way back into the garden...) I was also reminded by my beauti-filled-daughter just how much I loved growing flowers and slowly, slowly they have begun filling in the spaces in the garden, in the pots, and in the nooks out front until this summer when they have been given {at least} a full third of the raised beds. At least.

It helps to live in a space that was so clearly designed by someone who also loved working and living with flowers. On that note-



Roses loving the rain, Columbine loving the extra space, Dianthus peaking. And look who showed up unannounced this year- Star of Bethlehem.