Hollyhocks, Sweet Pea and Toddlers Oh My!

Stepped outside the door a couple of days ago and the fragrant scent of sweet pea engulfed almost the entire periphery of the house. My 17 month old son has discovered that he can pick flowers (among other things) and smell them (or at least pretend to smell them). He has also delighted in the fact that you can pick the petals off the leaves and throw them up in the air. Maybe he thinks they will fly.

The portland weather has been cool and many things in the garden seem to be very behind. No cukes, only flowers and tomatoes are inching closer to ripeness but if the rain and lack of sun continues then we will be lucky to get tomatoes at all this year. The only positive news is that this cooler weather has allowed the kale, swiss chard and certain lettuces to really take off. My newest love of the week is lemon basil which I planted on a fluke and have been using it in everything (salads, fish and chicken dishes, etc.)

THE BEAUTY OF COLOR

I have embarked on a journey of creative collision. One that involves my camera, my garden and the divine dance between earth and sky. I have spent a few days digging in the dirt, picking berries and trying to capture the magic that only happens once a year when all things bloom at the perfect moment during the season. I walk outside my door here in Portland and am instantly seduced by the scent of roses everywhere, the vibrancy of blue Delphiniums and the promise that tomorrow there will be more. I've never planted snapdragons as they are typically annuals and I prefer perennials, but after this one planting I can see why people come back to this flower year after year. They are amazing cut flowers and visually fill in a variety of spaces.