Summer is here

I know that Summer doesn't officially begin for a few more days, but my garden says that it's summertime.

My "garden guardin' goddess" is ready for her second season. She could stand to have a bit more spanish moss hair, and her garden twine dress has seen better days, but she's happy to be in the yard where she can enjoy the sun, breezes, and growing things. This summer I may make a sister or two to join her.

Now that the rains have returned, the yard is starting to fill up with plants and flowers.

The tomato plants have reached the point where they present a ripe tomato each day when I come home. That may not be a big deal to a lot of people, but my tomato growing history is not a happy one.



The first tomato plants I grew were taller than me -- and had no fruit. They had spent all of their energy growing green stuff, not red stuff.
The next time I tried, I did have some nice tomatoes ripening on the plants, until the bugs and animals got to them before I did.

This year I decided to try grape and cherry tomatoes . . .

Success at last!

I think they're too small to catch the attention of the critters, so I've been able to enjoy my tomatoes this year.


Meanwhile, the flowers are flourishing.

Seeds planted several weeks ago are sprouting and starting to bud and bloom.


The sunflowers, while small, are continuing to grow, as are the cosmos, marigolds and zinnias. The garden is full of splashes of yellow, orange, and red.

The bees and lizards and dragonflies zip around the yard using my bamboo stakes as launching and landing pads.

I really enjoy seeing the wild creatures enjoying the garden.

Excuse me, I think I hear my garden calling . . .