Summertime

As I sit here with ice on my knee (I twisted it while not falling as I turned my opposite ankle...stupid heels), I can finally take a few moments to breathe and reflect on the summer thus far.

This has been a week! I'm glad it's over (we got a defense verdict in our trial, woo hoo! The celebretory Cosmo I'm sipping tastes soooo good.)  And we're well into the Summer already, although it seems like it just began. 

This year I really wanted to have my gardens back, so I made the time in May and June to do the work. (Yet another reason for the few posts.)  I have tomatoes (Roma, Sweet Million cherry, and mystery volunteer heirloom varieties) peppers (Bell, Cubanelle, purple Serrano (in the photo), Serrano del sol, Poblano, and Yellow Banana), many herbs, and for the first time ever, Artichokes. 

Above is a picture of one corner of the herb garden a couple of weeks ago right after I got done weeding it.  The big rosettes of leaves are common mullein, an herb used in the olden days for pulmonary ailments; the white flowered herb is feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) which has long been used for medicinal purposes and more recently has been confirmed in some studies to help prevent migraines; between the rosettes is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), there's a salvia to the upper right, and near the feverfew is some St. John's wort, useful medicinally for relief of depression.

This photo has some tarragon hidden between the lemon balm and black-eyed Susans, but mostly I just love the brilliant yellow of the black-eyed Susans (that's why I let them self-seed and weed around them.)  In the upper right you can just see the orange flowers of "Butterfly weed" (Asclepias tuberosa), another one of my favorite native herbs.



And, more recently, I picked this basket from my garden: bell peppers, serrano peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and the first cherry tomato.

I love being able to pick fresh vegetables from my gardens!!!