Ou est le jardin?

Ahhh...summer is here-- or it certainly feels like it. The hot days of sun mixed with some rain in the evenings has been great for our garden. After a few sad weeks of all our plants being eaten (it turned out to be rats, but a neighborhood cat now patrols) we were able to turn our little plot into a small but thriving oasis. When I miss a day or two of visiting the garden, it always amazes me how much everything has grown in my absence. We've been eating the basil, sage, rosemary and lettuce so far-- and looking forward to the beets and tomatoes down the road. There's a mulberry tree producing tons of fruit right now, although most of it is out of reach. I had a grand idea of making jam from the berries, but I only seem to be able to pick enough to eat five minutes later....so jam might have to wait until berries are super cheap at the co-op.
Our garden is a true blessing; we've been barbecuing like mad ever since the first nice day hit. Despite the roar of traffic and a siren or three, it feels peaceful in the garden and it has become a small escape for us. I've been reading Alice Water's Chez Panisse Vegetables and Chez Panisse Fruits (from la biblioteque), and I think I would be perfectly happy eating berry cobbler and grilled asparagus in our garden all summer long...