Developments

The first freesia has bloomed, and it's yellow!  The second spike is just starting to swell, and I think it's going to be purple- you can just see a hint of color at the tips of the buds.  I love the fragrance of freesia.



And speaking of fragrance, here's the sambac jasmine I got last weekend. (I know, I know...)  It's spectacularly perfumed.  I had one of these plants 15 years ago when I lived in North Carolina, but left it with a friend when we moved to Friday Harbor.



It's been giving me a flower or two every night (today I have three!), and I've been carrying it back and forth between my bedroom and the deck.  It's inside at night so I can enjoy the perfume while I sleep, then back outside during the day to get lots of sun.  Even just one flower fills my whole bedroom.

I pick off the previous night's flowers when I put it back outside in the morning, and drop them in a little jar of 190-proof alcohol.  I'm making jasmine extract to store the fragrance.  The flowers won't last through the heat of the day anyway, and this way I get to enjoy the scent longer.  It's slow going with just a flower or two at a time, but I've got all summer.

Now, let us pause and take a moment to appreciate this next picture.



I look at that and almost hyperventilate, it makes me so happy.  That is a lovely bunch of Amish Paste tomatoes.

Also, the first cucumber is almost ready to pick!



And the grapes are moving along fine!



As I was leaving for work today I grabbed a handful of chocolate mint, and one sprig of orange mint. (Yeah, there's an orange mint now.  I know, I know...)



Chocolate on the left, orange on the right.  I chopped them up and made a lovely mug of tea to start off my day in front of the computer.  There was a bit too much greenery for one cup of tea, so I only used about half of the orange mint.  I'm rooting the rest... because I need more mint...



And to wrap up this post, here's a view of the newest resident at my address.



This little flycatcher built her nest in the inside corner under the front porch roof, a lovely protected spot.  She doesn't seem too fussed about us coming and going through the front door, and just sits up there quietly and watches.