Six on Saturday: August 15

I recently discovered a collection of garden bloggers writing Saturday posts about six garden-related things. This week I thought I’d join in.

Today the weather is perfect. It’s ninety degrees in the shade, dry and bright, likely to reach one hundred by midafternoon. Six summery things I’m enjoying in my garden right now:

1 – This Russian Sage. Drought-loving (I haven’t watered it at all! and I think our last rain was in March), pale purple flowers, delicate foliage, looks properly Mediterranean. Last winter I dug it up and moved it back from the edge of the driveway. I didn’t know if this would kill it, but it’s thriving. I’m thinking of planting a few more of these this year. So pretty! And the bees love it.

2 – Isn’t this a neat caterpillar? It’s one of many hanging out on this native Californian flower I’ve forgotten the name of. In spring and early summer these plants are covered in yellow flowers that later turn into fuzzy brown seed pods. I hope this caterpillar is a beneficial insect, doing a little better because it has access to this plant! But if it’s one that most gardeners would consider a pest – well, this part of the yard is pretty much in a ‘see what happens’ state anyway.

3 – My baby nectarine tree, planted from a pit two or three years ago. Will it produce fruit? If it does, will the fruit be as delicious as the parent? No idea. Planting nectarines from seed is apparently hit and miss. But look how healthy it looks!

4 – Apples ripening. So hard not to pick them early!

5 – Visually speaking, the Platonic ideal of garden sweet corn. This makes me happy in a way I can’t reasonably explain. This is the second crop; I planted two. The first is just about finished, so the timing of this is great. I planted this second crop where I’d previously had peas, and its leaves are greener – healthier soil, maybe? I’m curious to see if the flavor varies. This is the first year I’ve planted corn, and in my determination not to harvest too early, I picked the first ear too late! It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Luckily it didn’t all ripen all at once, and I got better at judging as I went along. I am determined that when this batch is ripe, I will be right there waiting to eat it!

6 – Sungold cherry tomatoes, a consistent favorite since I first grew them six or seven (!) years ago. This batch isn’t quite ripe because I ate all the ripe ones!

Happy gardening to all, and happy summer if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere!

For other garden bloggers’ Six-on-Saturday posts, visit The Propagator, which I in turn discovered by way of herbalblessingsblog.wordpress.com.