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This story is about an ending, the harvest of garlic.  I’ve waited nine months to extract bulbs from the soil. It’s the middle of August and my garlic is ready to be moved out of the garden to be dried.  The garlic leaves are half green and half brown.  The ground has dried out from the moisture received a few days ago making digging easier.  I’ve received advice from a commercial garlic grower. I am ready to dig. 

​There are many ways to plan a perennial garden that delights from early spring to the last hurrah of the season. It’s mid-summer and my garden is at its peak.  There are day lilies in colors of the sunsets ranging from pale yellow to the deepest purple and burgundy.  The pale lavender spikes of Hosta flowers pair well with the day lilies.  Black-eyed Susans are starting as the daisies are fading with Blazing Star as their foil.
 
I like the orderly progression through the seasons.  I anticipate each new bloom as I would friends coming for a visit.  Perennials don’t overstay their welcome and become tired as some annuals do before the seasons’ end.  Reflecting on the progress of the garden I have come to appreciate my investment in perennials.  Every few weeks something new captures my attention and makes its way into the flower bouquet gracing the kitchen island.