1st week of July 2008
The rains continue to make everything grow, I think some of the weeds jumped a foot since I last looked at them! One bush of currants was ready for picking this week and they looked like jewels hanging from the branches. We also were able taste our first tomato of the season (a luscious Sungold cherry) on the last day of June. My batch of 15 or so that were started in water walls or under barrels are looking quite lush with the promise of many more ripe tomatoes coming soon. I shared a few of the early plants with others and including my cousin who reported that she picked her first Stupice tomato last week so she beat me for the earliest one. She also asked me an interesting question wondering if I ever got tired of answering gardening questions (which inevitably happens wherever I go). I told her not really, I enjoy helping others along and having neighbors and friends with successful gardens can eventually make my job easier. If demand continues to increase or a crisis happens, then those folks won't need to come beg me for food and they can help in providing for others.
This weekend I was privileged to provide flowers for a cousin's outdoor wedding. She earned her flowers through several evenings of "sweat equity" in my gardens for which I was very grateful. I arrived the morning of the wedding with buckets full of flowers and foliage and let my cousins start arranging bouquets. They were quite creative and the results were very unique and beautiful - beyond what I imagined. The cupcakes even were decorated with edible blue borage flowers with hydrangea and blue alliums embellishing the cupcake tower stand. As I was putting together the bride's bouquet we decided something was missing so I added in some curly garlic scapes. 
Fortunately my cousin thought that was a neat addition and walked down the aisle with a bouquet containing garlic, lilies from our late grandmother's flowerbed, feverfew, bachelor buttons and even a few weeds. In the middle of their vows a strong thunderstorm broke out with everyone dashing for the tent where the ceremony continued once everything calmed down. The bride was a bit soggy, barefoot by then but still smiling! Truly a wonderfully blessed and exciting day for all.
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