I think today might be Midsummer, by my way of reckoning. It’s warm and sunny, and in the last few days, not only did I pick my first zucchini, but the first plum fell, perfectly ripe and delcious, a week or two ahead of its fellows. Back when it was officially Midsummer, my own garden was not feeling it, but now everything is lovely and relaxed, like sitting on a porch at the end of a long day — even when I am still working in the middle of the afternoon.

The lavender is pretty much spent, and needs trimming back. The acanthus likewise. Yesterday I yanked at the enthusiastic, yards-long wisteria runners that were crawling up the sides of the house, trying to get in at the window screens, and managed to pull most of them down and cut them off. Today I noticed that the apple mint has sent out new leaves low on its stems, so I trimmed the tops of those few. I don’t need to make tea or anything right now, so I put the bunch in a vase by the kitchen sink, where for a few days I can better enjoy their soft greenness.