My heirloom peas, called Capuchijiners (I have no idea how to pronounce that), are starting to bloom and they are the most gorgeous colours of lavender and blue. It’s been ages since I grew peas, in fact, as an adult I’ve never grown them, but if I recall correctly, my mother’s always had white flowers. Ornamental sweet peas are the only kind I’ve ever grown and of course they have lots of lovely colour, but I didn’t quite know what to expect of this variety of edible pea, which will form blue-purple pods that look like these, and these. They are a perfect plant for growing on my willow trellises, not only for their food value but also for the pretty.

It has been one of those very rare years in Toronto where we actually get a real spring, throughout all of spring, but now that summer has officially arrived, things are heating up. And with the heat, my garden is jumping. The spinach is bolting, and I’m quickly picking off the last of my cool-weather lettuce, which is surely giving its last leaves before it, too, bolts. And as usual, I’m starting to see that my garden is too crowded, as is my habit. Thankfully, my veggies usually don’t seem to mind, and produce a healthy crop despite the tight quarters.

Also, my dusty pink rose, salvaged from the clearance bin at Home Depot two years ago, has come into its own, full blast. Chris and I bought this rose, and another, for a couple bucks back when I first began trying to reign in the overgrown mass of garlic chives that had taken over the front perennial bed. This was the only one to survive, and this year it has grown up to height of the window ledge and has several gorgeous blooms going right now. Unfortunately, in my lack of foresight, the poor thing is completely incongruous with my yellow, orange and red themed beds. Ah well. With the way house negotiations are going, that might not be an issue much longer.

On a different note, The Globe and Mail has published an article about urban chickens and the growing support of keeping hens for eggs in backyards, in today’s Life section. It doesn’t really expose anything I don’t already know, but it is Canada’s major national paper, so perhaps this will add fuel to the fire of change.