June's gardens and other fun stuff

 This is a view of the bush beans, the bean trellises and the wild  landscaping that is my back yard.  (Ha. I say landscaping like it was planned like this)  The beans have been flowering, and now have little tiny 1.5 inch beans growing on them.  The weather has been so crazy this year, it's a miracle anything is growing period.  2 days ago, it was 95.  Yesterday it was 86. Today might have gotten up to 74. And tonight it is about 65 right now. They're forecasting rain the next 3 days.  But the hot days in between have been good for the garden, so we won't complain.  

The cucumbers are growing like crazy, over in the salad bed. And the lettuces are amazing.

 This is the edamame in the forefront, and the potatoes behind them. 2 separate garden beds, but so big and growing that they're starting to kinda melt together, lol. Looks like a sea of green. The edamame still have a ways to go, but the potatoes are flowering like crazy.

Isn't my bee balm delightful ? I love the bright colors.

Beautiful, fragrant elderflowers.  I'm going to harvest some this week and make elderflower cordial, which you can make a soda type drink with.  I may also make a few jars of elderflower and vanilla jam, if I can find the recipe. 

 I have a lot of lilies in my yard, and these are one of my favorites. They're big and thick and sunshine yellow. I have them planted i the front yard, around the bird bath and around the post of a bird feeder too.

 Lots of joyful daylilies around. Beautiful colors...

 And then this guy--all by its lonesome. An almost salmon colored lily.

 Cheery pink geraniums on the back deck.

 And Miss Junko Taibei, my right hand cat, resting after a hard morning of gardening.



  I made a pan of cranberry almond granola bars today. I over cooked them a little. (Ok, a lot compared to the ones I made last week that were undercooked).  I took them to the Solstice Celebration last Saturday and they were all gobbled up.  I wanted to cook them a little more than that batch, but I went overboard. They are still very good, just crunchier and less chewy, so more crumbly. I'll come back tomorrow and post pictures and recipes for them--they are really good.


  Bon Apetit and happy gardens...