Growing

Shade Garden. Oil on stretched canvas, 8x10

It felt like summer started today. Most of the plants are in, in the vegetable garden and the flower gardens. I've begun to weed. I cut my first bouquets of roses. I'm about a month late planting hollyhock, delphinium and foxglove seeds - actually, I am a year and a month late - but they will go in when I have time, and they will bloom this year or next year, and either way, it will be fine.

The little shade garden is looking as pretty as can be. Though they were mostly dormant last year, the Siberian irises are blooming this year. The impatiens are spreading and happy, and so far, knock on wood, no deer have decided to nibble.

I love the way the shade and the sun were playing in our yard and on the little garden when I painted this. It's a view that makes me smile whenever I see it.