I love June. At least here in Colorado, it's the month where everything really comes alive, in full bloom. I have a little patch of garden in my front yard where I planted these great red poppies that stand tall and proud in early June. And right next door to them I planted some purple iris. Together they dance the light fantastic for a brief week and then lay dormant, dreaming up a new show for next year.
The poppies enthrall me. I love to take my tea out to the garden and just do a walk around. Seeing what all is blooming - what drama awaits me. And these poppies in June hold a tiny universe that blows my mind. From a tight bud they gracefully unfold their huge red fan-like petals - like some burlesque queen on steroids - to reveal an almost sinister looking shaggy, dark black feathery center...
...slowly disintegrating to reveal the seed pod covered in feather like stamens...what universe is this?
Up above a little Robin's nest and it's brood watch over the poppy drama. All this in June.
The farmer's market comes into view and full swing in June. These jewel toned radishes just sang out to me.
All of these things, poppies and iris and radishes remind me of my grandmother, whose birthday is June 4. She'd be 116 this year! 100 years older than my daughter. I have one dear picture of her, my mom, me and my daughter - 4 generations. A big gardener until the final days of walking this green earth, many of my best childhood memories involve my grandmother's garden and her simple ways of cooking the garden's bounty.
More bounty from the farmer's market - these lovely blossoms tied into a bouquet were $10! No fancy presentation required, just a simple vase and a riot of color and flower wonderment!!!
A simple and lovely salad of ruby spinach, beet tops and baby swiss chard - a little olive oil and salt and pepper and you have a perfect June salad.
The radishes got washed and quartered....
...and made the trip down the hill to our town's annual summer fund raiser - Lobster Fest in Whistle Stop Park, right next to the train tracks in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains!
Buy a ticket and you get...
...a fresh steamed lobster, corn and drawn butter. Bring your own table cloth, flowers, cutlery, lobster crackers (for cracking open the shell), a couple of side salads and wine (duh) and you have instant picnic with a band playing in the background, under a beautiful evening sky. June perfection.
Those quartered radishes got sauteed in some olive oil and stood to cool. Then drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar, a small handful of chopped herbs and some salt and pepper. Delicious with our simply dressed greens. The leftover lobster (I bought extra for this reason), got roughly chopped with a little mayo, some lemon juice, a little fresh chopped tarragon and parsley and some salt and pepper. Yum! Lobster two ways - once under a lovely evening sky and once on the deck for lunch in the lovely June garden.
I wonder if the other month's are jealous of June's bewitching hold on me...
OH!!! Fran! June is indeed the most amazing month, waking from the long brown winter.
Such a full post here with so much beauty and wonder. Love the pic of your grandmother!!
My checker at Vitamin Cottage said our little world is soooooo green, lush and verdant because of the nitrogen in all this rain we are getting....keep it coming!!
Posted by: Stephanie | June 11, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Mom! You are adorable :)
I'm kind of sad I missed lobsterfest this year :(
Love you! <3
Posted by: Whitney | June 11, 2009 at 09:10 PM