My last Challenge post on the subject of Garden was three years ago. You can see that post HERE. So how do I answer Ann-Christine’s question in a new way? What IS actually in a garden? Please see HER POST for some examples around the globe.

Wikipedia says: “A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, or enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature, as an ideal setting for social or solitary human life.”

I am taking care of a friend’s house, pets, and garden for a few days. Her garden is quite whimsical and full of unusual things. Here’s a gallery of shots I took today:

In the Wheel of the Year, we are just past Lammas or Lughnasadh, the first of the harvest festivals. This is the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Invasive Himalayan blackberries are ripening everywhere along the roadsides and creeks. Neighbors are harvesting zucchinis and other veggies in abundance. The blackberries take no planning at all, but the other crops require diligence and sweat equity to nurture them through the dry summer months when pests of all kinds threaten the possible returns. I send my gratitude to the growers who provide an abundance of beautiful produce to the markets here.