Wishy Washy Summer.

Garlic is hung

Oh what a wishy washy summer it is..

Our skies just opened and it is pouring..

Our days have had rays of hope..but mostly  grey uncertain times..
still ,things are blooming and the gardens are a great source of joy.
For the work they give us and the rewards that come afterwards.

Take for instance those ranunculus blooms up there.. a few cheap corms from  Canadian Tire of all places this Spring and they worked..
I bought two more packages for next year.
I love watching things change..evolve,grow..the ones w/ buds perhaps the most..like hollyhocks and peonies and tulips..clematis also but they are EN MASSE..seing individual plants bloom ..well so exciting to me.
The hydrangeas are crazy though and I will have to try and get help and pull many..maybe Jacques can do it..I'll see..they are overgrown..lush..gorgeous..but I moved lillies..because they were lost amidst a sea of Annabelles..Annabelles are the worst.For spreading.



The girls are well..although one tried to eat my newly planted radish sprouts..I took two small areas where I pulled up the garlic..and am trying radishes..French and Watermelon..time will tell..if they don't grow..I'll have my daughter's attitude..:"It is what is is"  :)  

I made a neat little store ~in~ the~ fridge salad for my lunches.

I had bought a set of 4 Summer Fresh salads at Costco..saved the containers..and have twice now made 4 new ones..I never buy prepped food..I have moods when I am in Costco..I usually bee-line to the clothes,garden,books while Jaceques peruses every food aisle..I never go in the refrigerated parts..I wait for him by the rotisserie chickens..(don't ever tell my girls..)
But sometimes I get curious and throw my routine to the wind..
I love our friendly Costco..
So..the salad..

nothing complicated..

Quinoa
Green Lentils
Black Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Red onion
Some peppers..orange..red..whatever..chopped
Garlic  ..my Garlic Confit..Google the recipes..pick the one that suits you...a keeper for me now...it adds such an earthy sweetness to everything:)
Herbs.
A dressing of Dijon..srirracha,maple syrup,lemon juice,evoo.s and p..sesame seeds.
Add some edibles and a balsamic glaze.

I love opening the fridge and there's my little lunch.

The bananas ripen at the speed of lighning and the last thing I want are those stupid eeny meenie minie fruit flies..I HATE those as much as SQUIRRELS..not as much as Rose Chafers and Beetles.

so I made a Marie The Great British Baker Chef recipe..a nice different banana bread..we can all use 100 recipes:)

Yum.

I see summer just flying by...by my flowers..the annuals.. they don't tell time here..but my perennials do..I could guage a calendar simply by looking at my blooms..a week or two off..at times..
but still.that's how ell you get to know your gardens.

Bon Weekend..Bonne Semaine~♥

PS if you want a little smile or a tear..my daughter sent me..

Lucas and I later..

I watched it..and cried.

Garden Walk..

Paul Farges aka Summer Snow clematis is a winner anywhere.

That clematis takes over..and bleeds into Betty all across the arbor..to fill in where she leaves off..on a front arbor..
I love Paul Farges..if I find another..it's jumping into my car..and it's :"Start the car!:)"

Jody..from Gardenbuddies told us about it..♥

The ditch lilies..on the right side of our driveway where I have vowed to let go wild with great difficulty..are ditching it:)

And all my other favorite lilies are chiming in..
they were early also..
The coneflowers are blooming, the garage clematis..the fairy roses are almost done though..some feverfew is still in bloom and the Echinops..I love those quirky blue globes..they attract so many bees and cute fling creatures..the flying little bug is out of focus..the echinops was too high..they reach for the sky!
and Verbena Bonariensis..I bought it late as an afterthought..next yr..I am planning on having them here..there and everywhere.

So I got to hold a chicken Sunday..Chewbacca,Chewy for short.
All you have to do is cuddle them close..and hold their feet.
Those girls are treated like princesses:)
I have been studying and painting..Yuko Nagayama,Jean Haynes..
bought a couple of books and trying it all...at once..
And it's confusing.
Weather is stellar~still..
The big kids had a nice party..both passed their driving tests this morning..scooter../car.
Oy..I remember when they were 5 and 7..
Time really not stand still.That means in 5-6 years Lucas will be driving.
On that note...I will go and try to paint a few strokes~
Bonne Journée~