June Joys

June joys kept us hopping this month!

One of those joys happened to the Nest itself, the installation of my new garden. I planned it to be smaller and easy to care for, while still attracting butterflies. I'm also trying to keep it more orderly than my former garden, because I have a tendency to overdo pretty much everything, especially when it comes to flowers. It's a real challenge for me to resist adding every pretty bloom that catches my eye. We'll see if I can actually follow through on keeping my garden organized. First thing we did was hire our nephew to do the dirty work of cutting out the turf, and filling in the soil. The next day, we did the planting and mulching ourselves. After all that waiting, it only took a day or two to complete. Maybe it doesn't look like much yet, but the plants will fill in, grow, spread, and bloom over time. Meanwhile, I'll be waiting anxiously for butterflies to find the new place. 

I grabbed the first shipment from the Peach Truck, and had a few weeks of joy eating them and baking goodies. I had to laugh at all the city folks lined up in a hot parking lot waiting to pick up their peaches. You can laugh, but to me, these peaches are worth it. I made a pie, peach bread, peach crumble bars, and still had plenty to eat fresh. I'm going to order another batch next time they come to town. 

Around the house, I redid my tray twice this month. First I used the bee theme I talked about last month, then I switched over to its current beach theme. I also picked up a new checkered candle holder, and decided to put it on this tray by the front door. I am always drawn to anything in black and white, including checks, stripes, and polka dots. Like I said above, I have trouble doing anything in moderation, so when I see black and white patterns, they often come home with me. And I did finish another of my ever present crochet blankets. This one is meant to stay here in the living room. 

Our small veggie growing project has been successful so far. Last month we harvested all the radishes, this month, we had some tasty salads from the fresh lettuce and green onions. Soon, we'll harvest the carrots you see below. We pulled a couple just to see how they were progressing. We've also got three baby tomatoes, and various tiny cucumbers. 

With the garden finally planted, it didn't take long for things to start blooming. Within a few weeks, we already saw progress. It sure tickles me to see these first small blooms from the new plants, even though they'd be underwhelming in general. I did add a few of my old favorite pieces of garden art too, while trying again to be more subdued. By mid June, I finally let go of my spring pansies, changing out some of the containers out front using red accents. I never did use red much at the old house, the pinkish brick always seemed to clash with red flowers. 

I'm still waiting for my favorite butterflies to visit, but I shouldn't discount the couple I have seen. Besides, I do see plenty of colorful birds here too, and they'll hold me over until a monarch or swallowtail stops by. 

It's interesting to me how different my containers look since early May when they were planted. We've had plenty of heat and sunshine, and it shows in how full they've gotten. When first planted, they often look so skimpy, and I wonder if they'll turn out how I see them in my head. I was especially leery of the deck rail planters, they started off very weak. But now? Filling in nicely, thank you! 

I'll close as usual with a look at the sunset skies. It's that time of year when the days are long, which us northern folk really like. By the time the sun finally sets, I'm almost ready to call it a night. But I keep peeking off the front porch, hoping for something special. Day's end is always special to me regardless. Thanks for coming to see my little Nest. I do love to check each flower that blooms, no matter where I go, and then share them with you. Glad you were able to stop by!