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A Quiet Afternoon

A Bluejay disturbed the unusual quiet this afternoon, loudly telling off our resident feline, Tessa, who was lounging on the cool stone walkway and, as far as I could tell, minding her own business. Nevertheless, I invited her indoors with a treat so the Jay could avail himself of a drink from the fountain.

Tessa
Tessa

Mike has been working from home 90% of the time since Covid, and a year ago our young son moved home with his 70-pound, boisterous dog Juneau, a Husky/German Shepherd mix, while he looked for a job. At the time, we still had two cats, three if you count my sister’s aging cat, Queen B. Sharon’s kitty lived with us while my sister convalesced at a skilled nursing facility. Queen B has passed, followed by my sweet kitty Mouse last October. My son found a job and now housing in San Francisco and moved last month, so our household has contracted to two adults and one mellow kitty.

A smiling dog sitting in front of a colorful hydrangea bush with pink and blue flowers.
Juneau in the garden

I love my husband, my sons, the pooch, and the cats. Still, I’m thoroughly enjoying this day of solitude. I’ve been puttering in the garden, watching the bees traverse the nepeta flowers, discovering tomatoes on the plants that the nightly visitors have missed, and marveling at how quickly things grow at this time of year.

Cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes on the vine
Tomato carnage
Tomato carnage

To my delight and surprise, a lone pumpkin vine is trailing along the back walkway. It’s been flowering and dropping spent flowers as they are wont to do, and eventually a male and a female flower form, and if you’re lucky, magic happens, and a tiny pumpkin appears. The first pumpkin is now the size of a baseball, and a second one is forming down the vine. These garden surprises make me smile. We grew pumpkins for years, but gave up after back-to-back years of nasty squash bug infestations left me disheartened. Fingers crossed.

Several annuals have run amok, including Nepeta, four-o’clocks, and the pair of tomato plants that went into the ground in May. We enjoyed delicious tomatoes from the beefsteak plant and more from the cherry tomato, but then fruit production slowed, and the vines grew, towered, and partially fell over. Even restaking and tying back proved futile, so today I pulled up a steel garden bench, more decorative than seat-worthy, to offer additional support.

Four o'clocks (Mirabilis jalapa)
Four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa)

Mike spotted a gorgeous dragonfly perched on a stem, so I ran for my phone and snapped a few pics. It resembles a flower from a distance. Several butterflies passed through, but alas, not a single photo.  The lizards are active, and for the first time I saw one jump to catch a bug.

Dragonfly
Dragonfly (possibly a Flame Skimmer)

A pair of mourning doves hang out on the street light, then move in for a drink at the bird bath on our deck. We had a pigeon visit our garden for a week, so tame that I felt sure it had a home. One of my neighbors joked that it had adopted me.

Our sunflowers are starting to go to seed, but they performed well. We had to run out and tie them to a trellis a few weeks back when heavy winds blew through, but they remained upright. The squirrels are surely waiting in the wings.

Sunflowers
Sunflowers

For a while now, I’ve wanted to create a water source for the bees.

A honey bee collecting nectar from a white and purple flower amidst green foliage.
Western Honey Bee

I see suggestions every year, but never quite got around to it. It was simple to create. I washed out a heavy planting pot and an equally weighted saucer and stacked them in the middle of the nepeta. The bees love the tiny white flowers and spend a lot of time there.

Ceramic pot

The trick is to create a shallow bowl of water and a smooth surface to land on. I used clay shapes from my stash of vase weights, and added a decorative glass cat for interest (mine, not theirs). I tucked a water bottle into the shrubs so that it’s easy to top off each day. Between the heat and the shallow water in the saucer, it dries out quickly.

A shallow green birdbath surrounded by greenery, featuring a water fountain shaped like a dinosaur and a collection of yellow, star-shaped toys at the bottom.
Bee water source

Further garden projects await, but we’re heading into a seven-day heatwave starting Friday, so I’ll be hiding from the sun.

Meanwhile, I’m manifesting love, light, and hope for peace in our world.

Harvested tomatoes
Violet or viola
Viola
Garden glider, aka the napping spot

Bougainvillea extraordinaire

Bouganvillea
Bouganvillea reflected in the garden mirrors
Bouganvillea in all its splendor
White flowers inside the pink bracts
Fuchsia

33 thoughts on “A Quiet Afternoon”

    • Thank you, Joe.

      It’s not work if you’re having fun, right? I’ll bet you spend a lot of time tending to your cameras, scouting places to shoot, processing photos, etc. Sure, I may get dirtier than you, but we’re both having fun.

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  3. This is a post of delights. Oh, that Tessa! And Juneau looks like such a good dog buddy. My tomatoes have also flopped and fallen, and I have pretty much given up on them. Doesn’t look like there’s going to be a very good crop this year, but I will enjoy what I get. I, too, like days of quiet. Your garden is so beautiful, and those mirrors with the reflected pink really jazz up that fence. Hope the heat isn’t too bad and that it passes quickly.

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    • Thank you, Laurie! Juneau is a sweetheart, and Tessa, too, just not together in the same room. Perhaps if they had been raised together.

      I’m sorry to hear about your flopping tomatoes (perhaps that’s a title for a children’s book…ha). Growing tomatoes is so unpredictable, but who can resist a garden tomato and the chance to “get it right” each year?

      I had fun thrifting mirrors for the fence. They add an always-changing view of the garden, and earlier this spring, they provided endless entertainment for a couple of darling birds.

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    • Thank you, Jean. I love this green space, and all the birds, bees, and small critters that benefit from it as well. I’m sitting on the patio right now, bemused at the bluejay that dropped down to pick up a piece of the corn chip I dropped at lunch. We all need a peaceful corner of the world. I hope one day that’s possible.

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  9. This is a lovely post Alys! Your garden looks like such a peaceful oasis full of flowers and bees. The dragonfly is stunning – I have never seen one that colour. Enjoy these tranquil moments in your garden before the heat hits. 🤗

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    • Thank you, Tierney. Parenting is a journey of loving and letting go. It’s not always easy, but necessary, for healthy, fully-formed young boys to become men. I have a tender heart, so I attach easily, and love unconditionally. As for Juneau, you know the love of the dog. Having that greeting at the door is pretty special. Thank you!

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  13. I always feel so refreshed after visiting your gardens here. I have one photo of a dragon fly that I took at Butchart gardens in Victoria. I think I have seen one other since. I’ve never seen the red dragonflies. So pretty and you just have everything in that garden trained to pose for you. I’ll reply to your letter soon. I’m slowing down and everything takes longer. :/ Definitely thinking of you all.

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    • Dear Marlene, thank you for your visit and for your always-generous comments. I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual visit, and I wish you could visit this time of year and see it in person. I’m glad you and H were able to visit here before your move. I’m glad my letter reached you, but please don’t feel pressured to reply. Life is full, each day is a gift, so spend it on the things that bring you peace. xo

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