Drive-by post, that has suddenly grown to include more photos than planned

It's been a weird summer, with a long, cold June followed by some intensely hot days in July and August but, somehow, it's never felt properly like summer. The garden seems to share my ambivalence with the harvest, as of August 27, being pretty light. These aren't the first beans, cucumbers, or tomatoes I've picked, but it's not exactly like we've been overwhelmed by abundance either.

Plum positioned in such a way as to hide the bite either Squirrelicus or Ratticus has taken out of it

Though, on reflection, it has been a phenomenally good year for bees, who have been very happy with the California poppies that have been allowed to range all over the beds intended for vegetables, 

  and there has been clear evidence of leafcutters gathering their cocoon supplies from the neighboring roses. So I guess I just need to shift my perspective a bit. I'll look to that.

Leafcutter house with new residents moving in daily

Note the half circles clipped from the rose leaves
by leafcutters. (And also the flower from the gardenia
we've had for years that is blooming
for the first time ever.)

 

 

We've also been working on this sweet little corner of the backyard this summer: