Summer in our yard

It's not yet "official" summer, but someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. We're in the middle of our second week with temperatures in the 80's (mid 20's C). I'm loving the sun and blue skies while George hides from it. We're both glad that it's making our garden so happy.

There are signs of new growth on the feijoa. Our rhododendron bloomed for a mere week, mostly while we were in Portland. Nonetheless, it's worth the wait over the year to experience its beauty. One afternoon, I came out and discovered a local bee strategically collecting pollen from one flower after another - neat. Now, the rhodie is undergoing tremendous growth preparing for the year ahead. It has doubled in size since we planted it last year, so I can't wait to see what it looks like next year! The herbs I planted seem to be establishing themselves pretty well. I suppose they feel at home being so close to our yummy mint (mmmm, mojitos!). Remember that fern that we rescued from the weed shield? We think it's doing pretty well - what do you think? It's going to town right beside Pat's laurel babies. Out by the street, our lilac bloomed and is now dying back a bit. The new plant I put in to hide the ugly green Comcast box seems to be adjusting well to its new home. I'm looking forward to the pretty orange flowers that will come from the odd green shoots planted closest to the driveway.

In the back, Pat's perennial border is coming back in full force, especially the hosta. All those white bits in the lawn are wild flowers. When we planted our lawn, we put down seed that was supposed to be native to this area and include wild flowers. Wow, did we get our share of flowers! They're white and pink, and they come back between every lawn cut. It's kind of crazy. And, all of our ferns are really erupting this year. I wonder if the snow over the winter made them a bit stronger. Did you ever wonder what a baby Douglas Fir looks like? These little guys are popping up all over our garden. We're hoping to get at least one of them through infancy as a gift to the next owner of our house. (No, we're not moving just yet, but we almost certainly won't be here when the trees make adulthood in 30 years.)

Despite the work we put into our yard, it's so nice to have a green little corner in the world. We hope to get to share it with many of you over the summer.