I LOVE May!

Here are the pink roses. This variety is nearly thornless, blooms profusley and has a luscious fragrance. Everyone who comes to the comments on how great they smell. I cut a couple of 18" branches off and put in a vase. The blooms are great and you can't beat the smell.

My garden has 28 rows of vegies. Beets, peas, onions, potatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, zuchinni, pumpkins, beans, garlic, lettuce, bussel sprouts, watermelon, sweet potatoes. The rows are 40 feet long. They are double rows, so 14 water trenches. On the north part of the garden, 8 rows of corn are planted and in 2 weeks 8 more rows. Plus there are the 12 fruit trees. Cherries and apricots are first to ripen. We should start picking peas next week.

When I get a day off, it has been once a week with Hersh working for us, I spend a good 8 or more hours weeding, pruning and what ever else needs to be done. It's great! Hard work and good results. My arms are pretty tan now. The legs, not so much as I spend lots of time on my knees.

More tennis. That's the answer.

Love the yellow roses, but not as much as the pink. The flowers are 5-6 inches across. Both roses make great pot pourri base. I gather them in the morning and pull the old petals off and lay on the dining room table to dry for several days. The pale petals are the spent ones, but as they dry they darken up to the same color as the new blooms.
I didn't mention the red roses. They are in front of the garage. They are pretty, but I don't use their petals. They dry black, not too attractive. I do have a red rose I love as much as the pink. It is called Eden and is a cabbage rose. Next week it should open along with the hedge. The hedge is part Bonica and Pink Eden. Love those too. I guess with 7 climbing roses, 4 shrub roses and 20 hedge roses it isn't hard to tell which is my favorite flower.

These are my thornless blackberries in bloom. Can't wait till July! The blossoms are about the size of a silver dollar and the leaves are almost a waxy green.
The Pergola is one of the favorite spots in the yard. It's a nice cool shady place and each year the plants get better. The lilacs just finished blooming, followed by 2 different clematis and the wisteria. The honeysuckle will open next week and bloom till frost. 2 more clematis should bloom in 2 weeks, so my plan has been going well to have something blooming all summer.

Here are some of the plants growing on the pergola. L-R Blue Moon Wisteria, close-up (just starting to open), clemantis (close), clemantis

Here is my Pergola. The rose has leafed out and starting to get buds. It spreads accross the 30 foot span to make a nice shady roof.

Now you know why I LOVE May! June is pretty great too, but may also has the perfect temperatures. Not too hot in the day and the evenings are wonderful. I love to sit on the back patio or swing in the pergola (I take them down on water days). It is a soothing balm for the soul to see and smell all of the flowers. Wish I could include the rose fragrance, it's guaranteed to make you smile. Happy Summer!