Purple and Red

Last year, for the first time, I planted purple salsify.  Its sometime moniker, the "vegetable oyster," teased me into ordering seeds. Although I'm not a big fan of oysters, I am a fan of growing as many varieties of vegetables as reasonably possible.  And, once I grow them, I tend to like them (ground cherries excepted).  Our salsify crop was meager, and I will try to grow more.  One plant remains from last year.

The flower is a gem, isn't it?  Even more interesting are the stages of this flower.  Here, I'll show you.  On the right, brown, seeds are developing that I hope to plant this Fall.  See the flower that hasn't yet opened?

Let's turn now to what our son has called his "favorite vegetable."  Much maligned, I don't know why, a fresh beet, roasted, is sweet and tender.  Here, a friend of ours picks her first beet ever.  Tug a little.  It doesn't take much because the bulb sits near the surface of the ground.

"She seems pretty happy with the size of that puppy," says Virginia.

"May I see it?" says a hollyhock.

 Sure. Open wide.

Now don't cry.

Soon, tomatoes...

and daisies. "Phone home!"

Returning to our theme for the day, here are some larkspurs, volunteering among the peas, from a planting 3 years ago.