Saffron and Truffle Oil

I have fallen in love with saffron

and Truffle Oil.
Delightful and so light.
Perfect for these extra hot days.

I have fallen in love with a library cookbook!
I am treasuring every word.
I am so very inspired
that I ordered the cookbook for my kitchen.

Easy to fix suppers makes 100 degrees a bit more tolerable.

I am growing a large pot of mint in the deep shade.
Hopefully it will not bloom!

I have a pot of rosemary in the deep shade too.
Staying cool and inspired as we get through another heat wave
and still no rain.

Vinegar and Oil

While waiting for rain and the tomatoes
to ripen I am doing up bottles of flavored

vinegars and oil.

We are planting for Autumn harvest.

I can keep seedlings growing

until the rains return.

Picnics

We are eating light.
We are eating cold foods.
I made a most delicious garden potato salad.

As the temperatures soar I am staying cool.
I am fixing at home picnics.

I enjoy summer time.

I enjoy picnics at the kitchen table.

Rain

We received 1.5 inches of rain overnight.

The parsley was well washed.

I have fallen in love with roses.
I am doing my research.

I would love to grow roses in all the flowerbeds.

My friend sent me borage seeds.
I found a spot to sow them in the herb garden.
Now I wait for sprouts.
The rains watered them in nicely.

I also had some borage seeds.
These are annuals in my garden.
I will enjoy the borage while I find just the right rose for the herb garden. Next year shall be my year of the rose.
I am already making plans.

Lavender Hyssop

A few years ago my doctor suggested I grow my own medicine.
I was very ill. My husband said he would help me.
 We put in a bed of Echinacea, Purple Cone Flower.
I have never been able to bring myself to dig the roots.
Yet the process of caring for my "medicine" has made me well.

 I grow lots of herbs for teas.

I have added more Hyssop to the back peonies' bed.
I never seem to have enough for winter use.

It looks so pretty with my orange Asiatic Lilies.

My herb cabinet is filling up with dried leaves and flowers.

Herbs

The Gardenia is blooming.

It is one of my favorite flowers.

I wear the blooms in my hair.

I am planting annual herbs  in the Wind Spinner bed.
I hope to bring the patchouli in this winter.

We have been eating garden salads for supper.

I will replant the lettuces under the peonies.
I could have lettuce for another month this way.

The Kale is setting seed.
I will save and sow.

It is the year of lavender for my gardens.
This plant looks pretty in the Wind Spinner bed.
I hope to propagate.

We have mums in bloom.
It is a crazy spring!

Lavender and Summer Azures

A male Summer Azure

and a female Summer Azure were nectaring
on clover when I went to harvest the lavender.

This is the earliest I have ever harvested lavender.

Summer Azures and Lavender on May 7th.

This is an amazing May.