Sculpin

It looks like we aren’t going to get nearly as many plums this year as we did last year. Apples, too, though with our geriatric apple tree that isn’t so surprising. (Heck, I’m surprised it’s still standing.) It may be that the trees aren’t getting enough water because of the sheet composting we’ve been doing underneath. Or it may be that the trees are underpollinated. Our neighbor David and I have seen hardly any honeybees this year, even though there are said to be some hives down the street in the P-Patch. Next year I’ll put up some mason bee blocks.

The bees I have seen have often looked very ill. I suspect that some stupid bastard in the neighborhood is poisoning them.

The little herb garden is coming together. Last weekend at the market I picked up some lemon verbena, epazote, rosemary and scented geraniums. (Citronella and ginger.) I’ve moved some neglected pansies from an old window box to a half-shaded spot under the wisteria, where they’ve perked up considerably. And I’ve started harvesting the mint for tea and tabouli; a combination of peppermint and eau de cologne mint makes great tea. The tomatoes are doing their thing, but I suspect I planted them too late for a good crop; I haven’t even seen flowers yet.

Those short blue flowers in the front yard — some kind of campanula, I’m told — are doing their usual thing: they look great for a week, and then they look like somebody’s sat on them. I really ought to move them out of the front of the garden. They bug me. The tall campanula are still pretty. Lupine season’s about over, and geranium season is in full swing. The lavender would like to take over the beds lining the front walkway, and I think that’s a fine thing.

Speaking of sitting on plants, it looks like somebody crashed into one of our rose bushes — suddenly there were lots of broken stems on part of the bush. Maybe it was one of the small dirty children visiting next door. They surely got a surprise, because that is one mighty thorny rosebush.

The heirloom Cupani sweet peas are doing well, given their rough beginning. I’m not totally convinced that they’ve got enough sun, but they seem pretty happy, if a bit short. I’ll probably try some more shade-tolerant vine in that spot next time, but there will be a spot somewhere for the sweet peas: their fragrance is lovely, surprisingly complex, vaguely reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. I’m letting them go to seed; I thought I’d try a little seed-saving this year.

[Edit: and, wow, do those Cupani sweet peas ever clash with the crocosmia. Oh, man. OW. It’s tooth-rattling.]

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