We had a couple of days that were in the 70’s for the high, low humidity, and beautiful evenings – so I finally got some time in the garden to weed and look at it good.

Every year I struggle to keep this path free of weeds. This fall – it wins! I am removing the stepping stones and putting in a nice grass area. I totally want to walk there barefoot – maybe even lay on my belly and look close at the flowers & insects with my kids…

There are fun things in the grass too!

These caterpillars ate all if the garden dill, all of the parsley potted plant I grabbed for them, and now, they are in my kids school, with all the cut parsley they can eat, and should be transforming into chrysalis this week. Then the kids get to watch them hatch and release them. I would say let them be in nature, but we were out if their host plant, and I love letting kids get an up close look at nature & allow for stronger bonds to be formed!

These candy lilies (Iris family) just keep cross pollinating and come back slightly different every year…

More seed pods! I will plant a plant just for the seed pods!

And I have my little seed sollecting daughter to also help spread them throughout the garden.

And this little speck on the NY Ironweed reminds me of the speck from "Horton Hears A Who".

Love the eyes…

And my favorite plant this season is the Mountain Mint (US Native). It smells like sweet spearmint bubblegum and attracts so many pollinators – many Hymenoptera – bees, wasps & ants – I have never seen before!

And with that perfect weather – a lot more time to hang out in the garden looking at the locals…

Oops! So I forgot to plant these bulbs in the fall. So here they are, planted in early spring – for summer (bad, bad girl!)

And with just short windows of creativity – I decided to make up some new silk knot bundles and these fun braided friendship bracelets.

I’ve got the photos & steps – now just to write them out & have a quick PDF available. My goal is to have it done and available for First Friday this week!

How are the lazy days of summer treating you?