I love to have a day like today, when I stayed home and worked, mostly in the garden. I planted seeds in the greenhouse on Wednesday, and today I wanted to sow others directly into the planting boxes. But I hadn’t realized how little space is currently unused by other plants. So I decided to take out a few leeks to make room for carrots. 
I haven’t been sure about those leeks, if they are growing properly, or are a complete loss. Maybe they didn’t get enough water and are spongy as well as spindly? So I pulled up a few of the largest, and discovered that they are perfectly fine. This was comforting; my fennel had indeed been almost a complete loss, because I let it go too long. And one doesn’t want to have that experience often, of using a chunk of precious space for several months with not much to show for it.
(So I made some Leek Confit this evening.)
At one point in my back-and-forth around the garden, I stopped raking pine needles or preparing seed beds and just watched all of the insects that are incredibly busy feeding off the flowers. It’s become the pollinator garden that I planned for, and there are many kinds of bees, wasps, flies, moths and butterflies to be seen working.
These two seemed to be taking a break from their job, to play tag on a zinnia.
After I took several pictures of them they escaped from my spying and continued their game on the underside of the flower.
I also noticed a hummingbird at the Bachelor’s Buttons, when he made the branches shake, but he didn’t hang around very long after that. 
The arugula seeds came up in only three days, in the warm and humid greenhouse, and in four days the hollyhocks began to emerge! This is a newborn hollyhock for you.
While I was doing my work in the back, the landscapers were doing theirs out front.
I was quite pleased to see how they made use of the clods of adobe clay to make a sort of wall by the drain that slopes down the grade and will carry off any extra water from heavy rains.
A lovely and restful day. Only my feet hurt. So I wrote this blog post instead of taking an evening walk.
Good night!
Gladsome Lights 
It is nice to have a lovely, restful day, they are blessings.
May today be yet another one.
Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady
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Your garden is lovely! Gardens are a great comfort and a great challenge and a great interest and a great joy for those who tend them.
Leeks! I love them! Yours look great. And now I’m hungry! Haven’t had breakfast yet and I think it’s time. Wish I had leeks to eat with my scrambled eggs.
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I also love a couple of fried eggs with a pile of leeks on the side! They are good in so many settings…
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It sounds like a perfect day to me! I have never grown leeks, but buy them to make chicken soup often. When I had a large garden, I used to plant fennel just for the butterflies.
Can you garden year around there?
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Yes, Sandy, we can. One or two years of my 26 in this town, we didn’t have a frost all winter. But the freezing mornings usually don’t get colder than the 20’s, and that not for long enough to damage most of the plants I have. So we can grow greens and peas through the winter, and many other things.
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I love leeks!
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LL, I wish you were here to eat some with me! ❤
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What a lovely day!!! Your yard looks wonderful. I love your positive attitude, heavy rains. I would love to have some heavy rains. 🙂
I love the way the front is coming along.
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We love leeks! I sauté slices of leeks in olive oil with just a bit of salt. We especially enjoy them served with Ahi Tuna steaks (seared over pan toasted black peppercorns, lots of them!)
Not fond of cleaning them though – is there a technique for that?
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Ah, this day sounds amazing! Your leeks look fantastic and I love your Zinnias. What beautiful visitors you had with their pretty wings!
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