There have been good days and challenging days and the days run into each other.  Some mornings I look at the full pill square to see what day it is.  I find the better days as those when I get up with the sun and stay with  a routine.  Lucky for me this time of year is my outside time.  This morning I walked to the garden at 6:45 and dug up the poor beets.  My beets did not get the eight hours of sun that they needed so are puny and sad.  If they were sold at the farmers markets as "baby " beets they would be in a class of their own.  Every year is different.  If perfection is your goal, then gardening is more of a challenge.  Luckily, I'm not a perfectionist.  This morning the beans needed to be picked again.  We have enough for three more meals but not enough to preserve.  My bean patch is only large enough for our weekly meal supply.

Rogue flowers are popping up all over the garden but we're not seeing the hummingbirds, many bees, or butterflies this year. This morning while digging beets I noticed fat bumblebees on the large yellow squash flowers.   Next year I'll do more squashes and cukes for the bumble bees.

Sunday afternoon............

Today is better.  I knew it was Sunday without looking at the pillbox.  

Today's harvest.  Purple Bumble Bee tomatoes, Jibai Shimoshirazu cukes, a zucchini, and a couple of summer squash. Bag of yellow and green beans.......enough for another three meals.  Am cooking some now for late afternoon.

I buy my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Catalogue and purchased these seeds because they are a variety from Japan described as the sweetest cucumber tasted  and disease resistant.  And their son is adorable!  These cukes are right for my garden.  Cliff loves them fresh  picked and crunchy.  

  Green and yellow beans steamed and egg-dipped fried zucchini with Parmesan cheese tonight.  Now to clean the messy kitchen but worth it.  

Lately we've had afternoon thunderstorms so everything is green and lush.  

I've never planted container squash in previous years but after reading Mother Earth Magazine articles I decided to try it.  I love it and will do it again next year along with the garden squash.  

I'm so enjoying how the garden is full of surprises this year.  I found a couple of zucchinis hidden under the large leaves, Swiss chard and a baby bok choy.  The garden is like a treasure trove.  I'm not sure what I'll discover each day.  Being in the garden early in the morning starts my day with a happy heart.