Purple podded pole beans, Sweetie tomatoes, and marionberries were begging to be picked. I obliged. Yellow pear and Stupice tomatoes are producing steadily as well.

Down past the marrionberry trellis, the raised cutting beds of dahlias and gladioli are bursting with color. With dahlias, the more I pick the more buds they produce, so I’m bringing in a big bouquet every few days. The 7″ white and lilac, waterlily-shaped ‘Mikayla Miranda’ is today’s favorite.

The gladioli are a great mix of colors in various beds throughout the lower gardens– from deepest velvety red to peach to bright fuchsia to white — and I’ve had fun giving away bunches of these.