A humid, cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  We should see cloudy skies with afternoon showers or thunderstorms.  Storms may contain strong gusty winds.  The high should read the low 90s with winds out of the WNW at 5 to 10 MPH.  
​
Here in the Carondelet Garden, it’s glorious tomato season.

The heirlooms are beginning to blush, and the patio tomatoes have gifted us a bountiful harvest. For this old gardener, it’s one of the sweetest times of the year.
 
Tomato plants hold one of my favorite scents in the world. One whiff, and the memories rise. They smell like home. Everyone, it seems, has a story about tomatoes. They’re plants of family, of tradition, of secrets passed down like recipes whispered in steamy kitchens. Tomato stories are told with that far-off gaze, eyes soft-focused on something treasured in the past.
 
Growing tomatoes is a way of welcoming summer. What they crave is sun and heat—and they remember it, somehow, deep in their cells. Tomatoes love to bake in the sunlight, to soak in the warmth and release that nostalgic, green-fingered perfume. It’s in that alchemy of heat and scent that they turn radiant and red, offering up their sun-ripened fruit like a memory made edible.
 
In the quiet tending of tomato vines, I’m reminded that growth isn’t always flashy. It happens slowly, often hidden—nourished by warmth, patience, and care. Like the fruit ripening under summer’s watchful gaze, the spirit, too, ripens in its own time.
 
We don’t rush the tomato. We trust the process, the sun, the soil, the sacred wait. Maybe there’s a holy invitation in that: to let us ripen, not on the world’s timeline, but on the soul’s. To become ready in due season.
 
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
 
Here’s to warm fruit, weathered hands, and the grace of slow ripening. 

The skies are bright and sunny over the Carondelet Garden on this last Friday of June.  We should see partly cloudy skies this afternoon with showers or thunderstorms possible.  Storms may contain strong gusty winds.  The high today should be a downright chilly 90-degrees with winds out of the WSW at 10 to 15 MPH.  Chance of rain is about 40-percent.

It's been a long week here in the Carondelet Cottage.  Between the heat and a computer project that had to be finished by yesterday, I have spent entirely too much time inside and not enough time in my quiet place.  I can feel the disconnect.  I used to be able to do this kind of work all the time and even get a bit of joy from it but these days sitting at a computer can become a bit of downer.  

I'm looking forward to the break in this relentless heat.  I will be harvesting the rest of the Candy Sweet Onions this weekend.  The garlic has finally dried and will be clipped and put into storage for some delicious @carondeletkitchen concoctions in the future.  I will return to my sanctuary.  I will find the time to pray and be grateful for the abundance that surrounds me.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is sunny, hot and humid here in the Carondelet Garden in south Saint Louis.  Clouds may move in this afternoon with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible.  A little bit cooler, if you can call the mid-90s cooler.  Winds are out of the South at 5 to 10 MPH.
​
​In memory of Anthony Bourdain
June 25, 1956 — June 8, 2018
 
Today would have been Anthony Bourdain’s 69th birthday.  He was a complex, incredible person.  We’ve seen him in person several times and he’s the guy on television but calmer.  He was an introvert who lived an extrovert’s life.  I understand that.  He had his demons, and they caught up to him and we lost a true culinary and, more importantly, literary star.  Today we celebrate something he would have HATED! 
 
So, to celebrate Bourdain Day go somewhere unfamiliar. Talk to someone new. Eat something outside your comfort zone. Take yourself on a weird little solo date. Host a party where everyone brings a dish inspired by their favorite episode. In Tony’s words: “Open your mind, get up of the couch, move.”

EXTREME HEAT WARNING
No bones about it, it is HOT here in south Saint Louis right now. The sun will be sticking around all day and it will continue to be hot with highs near 100-degrees F.  Winds will be out of the SSW at 5 to 10 MPH.  Let the watering continue!

The bunnies are adorable but ridiculously destructive in the Parterre Garden.  They have literally nibbled every blossom of every small plant to nothing.  We have added some Lavender to the garden and Dr. B came up with the brilliant idea of adding some gazing balls.  It seems the little bunnies do not like seeing themselves and take off for territory unknown.  They are cute but I'm glad to be rid of them.  The Garden Doodle is much calmer as well.  She took it as a personal affront that they were in her garden!

The Excessive Heat Warning continues.  Stay hydrated.  Take many, many breaks.  Take care of yourself and others as you are out and about on this Hot Ordinary Monday in June.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a sunny start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  A beautiful morning before the heat and humidity hit later this afternoon.  For now, it is absolutely beautiful.  The skies should be sunny all day with highs in the mid-90s.  The winds are out of the South at 10 to 15 MPH.  We have our first heat advisory starting tomorrow but I'm thinking it should probably start this afternoon.  Be careful if you have to do anything strenuous this afternoon.  This old gardener is finishing up all of his chores this morning.

It has been a glorious Spring here in the Garden.  These Daylilies are doing their best to shine in all of their glory these past few days.  What a grace to get to see these wonderful blossoms every day for a while.  Last year the little Doodle puppy decided the daylilies were going to be her bed and we had very few flowers.  She has grown up and listens a bit better and has, for the most part, left them alone this year and they are giving it all they have.

The weekend is here.  I think we will be hitting up the pool at Concordia Turners for the first time this season.  With these hot temperatures we may be there several times over the next few days.  Take care of yourselves.  Hydrate and take frequent breaks.  Be good and be kind to yourself and others as we enter into another weekend.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is humid out in the Carondelet Garden on this mid-week Wednesday morning.  We may see some isolated thunderstorms developing later in the day with a few storms becoming severe.  The high should be in the mid-80s with winds out of the SW at 20 to 30 MPH.

Yellow seems to be the color of the day here in the Garden.  Everywhere I look I can see the beautiful yellow blossoms welcoming Summer to Carondelet.  It is difficult not to smile see these blooms burst forth into all of their glory!

Yesterday’s reading rolled in like a summer storm—thunderous, electric, impossible to ignore.
Matthew 5:43–48 stirred the air:

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good..."
Then comes the lightning strike: “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

That hit hard.

It’s not easy to hear a call to love in a world crackling with hatred, tension, and pain. The demands are high. The clouds feel heavy.

And yet… summer storms have a purpose.
They drench the soil.
They bring relief.
They wash away dust and reveal new life.

Maybe we’re called to be like that—like a summer storm of grace. Bold enough to shake the skies with love. Gentle enough to soak dry ground with kindness. Persistent enough to keep showing up, even when the wind howls loudest.

Imagine a world where hatred is dissolved into mercy,
Where gentleness falls like rain,
And forgiveness flows like rivers through the fields.
​
Let’s begin there--
In our own hearts.
In our daily storms.
With one small, prayerful downpour of grace.
Let us rain love.
Let us pray.
Amen.

The humidity hits hard on this Monday morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The showers are moving in for a bit but should be finished this morning with cloudy skies hanging around all afternoon.  Winds are out of the ESE at 5 to 10 MPH.

The roses are coming on strong right now and give us all a bit of grace here in the Garden.  What a beautiful time of year with so many flowers in full force all around us.  The Doodle walk this morning was filled with wonder and beauty all around the neighborhood.  Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

A fun-filled weekend with visits to a Maker's Market on Saturday and a great day in the garden yesterday.  I'm trying to enjoy every moment in the garden.  My safe place.  My sanctuary from the craziness and ugliness.  

Let us keep hoping and praying for a good week ahead.  A bit of faith, as much hope as we can muster and all the love we have for ourselves and each other.  A good place to start anyway.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a drizzly Friday morning here in the Carondelet Garden in south Saint Louis.  The clouds are sticking around all morning with rain expected to continue and then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon.  The high should reach the upper 70s with winds out of the ESE at 5 to 10 MPH.  while I am still a bit tired of the gloom, we could use the heavenly moisture.

The moisture mixed with mild temperatures so far this Spring has given us an abundance of blooms and blessings here in the Garden.  The flowers are extraordinary this year.  I am absolutely thrilled with the way things are looking right now.  We have been fortunate in our little corner of the city.

I am trying to stay positive.  I am trying to keep hope alive.  I am trying to keep the faith and share a bit of love.  I'm trying.  It feels like that is all I can do right now.  We help where we can.   We give what we can.  We do the best with what we have right now.  Let's hope together.  Let's pray together.  Let us keep faith alive!  Amen.

A glorious morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and the flowers are blooming.  The sunshine should stick around all morning with a few clouds moving in this afternoon.  Highs near 90-degrees with winds out of the SSE at 5 to 10 MPH.

A slow start to the day here in the Carondelet Garden.  A few errands and then haircuts this afternoon.  It is nice to have a slow, easy day every once in a while.  Here's to a relaxing mid-week respite.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's an overcast morning here in the Carondelet Garden but at least it isn't raining.  We should see partly cloudy skies with winds out of the West at 10 to 15 mph.  The highs should reach into the mid-80s by this afternoon.  We needed the rain, but I welcome the break!

June is busting out all over here in the Garden.  It seems like everything is in bloom all at once.  I feel like everything is so early this year but when I check back into the archives, things are just as they should be.  My memory isn't what it once was so everything seems to happen faster.  One of the many signs of aging is how quickly time can slip away from you.

Welcome to Ordinary Time.  As Ordinary Time begins, we enter a season of quiet yet profound growth. In the Church calendar, Ordinary Time is not marked by grand feast days or dramatic celebrations but by the steady rhythm of faith—much like a gardener tending the soil, waiting patiently for new life to emerge.

​Despite its name, this season is anything but common. "Ordinary" simply refers to the numbering of weeks, spanning 33 or 34 weeks of the year. It falls between Christmas and Lent, then returns after Easter until Advent. Its liturgical color is green, a reminder of the life and vitality present in both faith and nature.
​
Much like a garden in its prime, Ordinary Time is a season of tending—of nurturing what has been planted in our hearts and allowing Christ’s presence to take root in our daily lives. It is a time to cultivate patience, to water the seeds of love and compassion, and to celebrate the quiet miracles of growth all around us.  Welcome to Ordinary Time!

We can hear the thunder here in the Carondelet Garden in south Saint Louis.  The rain has started and the weather folks tell us we can expect thunderstorms throughout the day.  Wends are light and variable.  

Walter Brueggemann passed away yesterday.  He was an Old Testament scholar and, in so many ways, a modern prophet.  He wrote "The power of the future lies not in the hands of those who believe in scarcity but of those who trust God's abundance."  A bit of hope and grace on this gloomy Friday morning.  

To be a gardener is to believe in God's abundance.  The very idea that you can take a tiny seed, plant it in some dirt, give it some love, water and sunshine, and then wait a little while. Then something miraculous happens!  To be a gardener you cannot believe in scarcity you must trust in the abundance of the Creator to create everything.

Happy Friday gardening friends.  Be good to yourself.  Be kind to your neighbors.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It is a wet Wednesday here in the Carondelet Garden.  We should see showers and thunderstorms through the day with some locally heavy downpours possible this afternoon.  Gusty winds and small hail are possible.  Highs will be in the mid to upper 70s with winds out of the SW at 5 to 10 MPH.  We may see up to three inches of rain before it's all over tonight.  

We definitely need the moisture, but it would be nice to get it spread out a bit and without the stormy part.  As we used to say at school:  "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!"  Let's hope for the best.

The past evenings have been perfect for a bit of porch sipping.  It is the obvious thing to do.  It is truly something to savor during these early June days.  Yes, there is still a long list of jobs to complete, but when the evening is sunny it is time to pause a take the time to enjoy the warmth and the sights and sounds of the garden.  The garden is the constant amid the frenzy of life and taking the time to appreciate it gives me a fresh perspective.  A bit of calm after the stress of the evening news.

We have a few chores that must be accomplished today.  The first being our tetanus shots.  Ten years flew by.  As gardeners and cooks we know that this little booster is an important thing to have.  Then we will congratulate ourselves with lunch out and maybe a visit to an Antique Mall.  A good way to spend a rainy day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

What a glorious Monday morning here in the Carondelet Garden in south Saint Louis.  The skies are blue, and the sun is shining.  The birds are singing, and the Garden Doodle and I have already had our walkabout.  A stunning day ahead with highs in the low 90s and abundant sunshine.  Winds will be out of the SSE at 5 to 10 MPH.

This past weekend was absolutely amazing.  Fun and sunshine were the words of the day.  We headed over to Shaw's Garden with our great niece and hung out in the Children's Garden and watched a two-year-old have the time of her life.  Water.  Sand.  Fun and flowers.  Life is good!  

There is a real feeling of accomplishment when you witness the early promise of the garden begin to turn into results.  The potential is starting to be fulfilled.  Always a bit of weeding to do and a few plants will need to be moved, but it's all coming together nicely.  The days are getting longer and there is always a lot to do.  For now, the number one priority is to take a bit of time to sit and soak up the beauty that surrounds us!

As Rosemary Verey said, "It is a pity June does not last twice as long."  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.