I’m realising we’re already more than halfway through the summer and I’ve documented virtually nothing of my garden this year. Not sure why—especially since it has been huge success. Maybe I’ve just been too caught up enjoying it to want to stick my nose back in the phone to post about it. But if hate to miss it altogether, so here are some highlights so far:

The roses bear their peak in June. They were taller than me and smelled divine.

The banks of Jasmine and gardenias that followed shortly after smelled even better. From a fragrance perspective this garden peaks in late June.

My attempt at a woodland garden beneath the Japanese maple filled in very nicely.

We weathered the intensity of the heat dome by rigging up sheets and tarps to shade as much as I could, and watering basically nonstop.

While the roses peak in June, the sun living front corner really hits its stride in July. It’s a riot of color and a magnet for pollinators.

And note the wee fountain I added to the mix!

And the pond anchors it all and brings a whole new level of interest with fish and water lilies.

I’ve got nine good-sized goldfish in there—two sarasa comets, two shubunkins, two calico fantails, one standard goldfish, and one ink-dark blackmoor that is enormous and truly magnificent.