a beautiful day!

There are so many gorgeous things happening outside these days. Sitting out on the deck this morning, drinking coffee and writing an article, it dawned on me that I've landed in a very good place.
The passionflower vine had given flowers a month ago, then quit... but today I see a new blossom and there are many more to come. They just don't even look real. I wish my skill with the camera was better. They are just stunning, and they smell delicious too.
The garden is coming along nicely - considering that it was very late getting in the ground. Looks like I need to learn a little about building supports for the beans, but they don't seem to mind. You can see the row of grosso lavender plants I've put in in the far right of the picture. On the left is a row of different basils.

Everywhere I look there are reminders of my mother around this house. All the years of growing up, I remember jokes about my mom having a black thumb. We would buy her flowers, and they would wilt in the vases, remaining in place until someone decided it was time to dispose of the fire hazard. In this house, she took a shine to gardening. I suspect it was my sister's help. She loved daylilies, holly, butterfly bushes, and climatis vines.


These are two of her favorites. The stargazer is the lone bloom this year so far.