My Garden Delights

Wednesday in the garden was sunny and hot. We have been having lots rain so the sunshine was welcome.  But when the thermometer heads above 80, I head for a place to work in the shade.  I weeded everything I could reach around the edge of the shade garden.  When I came around to the Partridge berry, I noticed its tiny twin flowers.  I nearly missed seeing them this year.

Most of the flowers were past.  This pair of flowers have dropped off .  The green base of the flowers you see here will result in one red berry with two "belly buttons".  That berry has always fascinated me.  The berries are edible but rather bland.  I usually leave them for the critters.

Today is sunny, but much cooler.  I headed out and decided to weed the onions.  Sometimes I really love to weed where I can just pull everything except the intended crop. It means I have to pull catnip, pink poppies Johnny Jump Ups, dill, fennel  ..., but I also pull grass, purslane, mustard, nightshade , bindweed...  I can only reach just so far along the edge of the bed.

It's a great feeling to finish weeding this long bed of onions.  For me the job is done.  It will be up to Ed with his longer reach to finish.  If he doesn't get to it, I guess we will find out if onions grow better with or without weeds!

I have to say it was a pleasure to be in the garden today.  The air is filled with the fragrance of pink dianthus.  Its spicy aroma is delightful.  I watched  a blue jay sit for a moment on a fence post near where I was working.  In a flash the tree sparrows who have a nest box nearby were on the attack.  Blue jays are beautiful blue birds, but they are raucous and kind of pushy.  It was fun to watch the smaller birds swoop at him and chase him from the garden before he could even squawk.  I'm glad they don't feel that way about me.

I picked some arugula to make my favorite arugula and nectarine salad for dinner and came inside for lunch.  It really is a lovely day!  I think I'll go back out later and deadhead the Robin's plantain.