June in Harmony

Because I can't stop swooning over these peonies, you have to put up with two flower photos instead of one. Half-open, they look like pale-pink silk ball gowns held up by a flurry of petticoats. Usually, my peonies are smashed by a hailstorm before I can bring any of them into the house. I got lucky this year.

This is peppermint, hung up to dry so that next winter it can feed my older son's peppermint-tea habit.

For years I only had purple lupines. Now I suddenly have pink lupines. Ah, the mysteries of genetics.

This is a forest of garlic.

The rest of my garden is considerably less forest-like. On the bright side, it's really easy to weed.

Strawberry flowers. Hurry up, berries.

First, you throw an old potato into the dirt. Then you wait for three weeks until you see a few wizened shoots thrust through the soil. Within days they unfold into vigorous green leaves. The process is like reverse aging.

Here is the swing that no little boys swing on any more. So I have to. Otherwise, the swing would be lonely.