Before I went on vacation, my snap peas had been blooming. When I returned, I had pea pods! I picked one, snapped it open, and offered the first peas to Steve. Then we ate the pod, which was juicy and even more flavorful than the peas. There are plenty of others maturing on the vines of my six plants. I’m pretty stoked that my first-ever effort at growing peas has been a success.

Other crops that are progressing nicely include tomatoes, radishes and mustard greens. I thinned the radishes on Sunday, and many immature plants went into the compost bin, but I brought a couple handfuls of green leaves from these inside (along with a few pickings of the mustard) for a dish of sauteed greens and bacon.

Such abundant sunshine this June; it’s been a great time for flowers in my garden (and so many other yards: I find myself staring at profusely blooming rosebushes instead of paying proper attention while driving down the street). Our privet hedges are now covered in fluffy white flower clusters and surrounded by bees. My “Hot Lips” salvia is also having a productive year. When people visit and stroll about the yard, I like to point out how the flowers on this can be solid red, pure white, and bi-colored, all on the same plant.

Two of the five or so dahlia bulbs I brought home last fall have bloomed. The lilies from the same source are growing tall, but no sign of flower buds yet.

Along with my rosebushes, violas and other small tender plants, the six coneflowers (Echinacea) from GrowIt have been attacked by insects and snails. It’s hard sometimes to keep up with snail-hunting and treating everything with repellent sprays often enough: new leaves literally appear every day. But the coneflowers continue to grow taller and develop flower buds despite damaged leaves, and one of the “Sombrero Salsa Red” flowers opened last week.