Farewell is such sweet sorrow. I'm leaving on a jet plane, just as the garden kicks into its full glory. While I'm away, the peonies are going to bloom in a burst of pink and white fireworks. The jasmine will waft its sweet fragrance all over the yard and into the open windows of our tiny cottage, but I'll be in Greece. Which will certainly be no small consolation for missing one of the prime moments of the season in our little corner of the Catskills. I've never been to Greece before but my suitcase is packed with all things blue and white in anticipation. Last night, only half joking, I made a Greek salad for dinner. Priming the pump. New sights, new sounds, new tastes, new friends: here I come.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, this gorgeous sweetshrub is sitting pretty. Every part of this plant smells delicious—scrape the bark, crush the leaves and sniff the flowers, and you'll be rewarded with aromas as various as camphor and bubblegum. There is another one with dark maroon flowers, if you prefer.

Something about the combination of early heat and enough rain has really agreed with the plants this year. Thyme that I have lovingly coaxed into various nooks and crannies over the years has suddenly taken off. Yet another thing that adds its pleasing scent to the air, and the table.

The jack-in-the-pulpit that I transplanted from the wild a couple of years ago has multiplied, thanks to seeds I replanted. It grows with its bosom companion, the trillium, and then they're ultimately overtaken by the encroaching horde of impossibly green ferns.

I planted these irises because they were my mother's favorites and each year when they bloom I think of it as a tribute to her. She loved plants and gardening and flowers and birds and hiking and cooking and entertaining...but of course I'm nothing like her at all. 

Under the river birch, these wild poppies have gone, well, wild. It's clear they are just plain bossy but they're also quite lovely and they'll bloom all summer long. Plus their flower heads, these grey, fuzzy ovals, are quite adorable. There are a few special ferns—Japanese painted, maiden hair—lost in there somewhere that still need to be rescued.

In addition to the garden—and much more desperately—I will miss my darling Titi. Here she is eyeing the furled trunk of the dead redbud tree, just before viciously attacking it with her claws. There is no way for me to explain to her that I am going to Greece but I will be back. I can only trust that by now, after all these years, she has faith in me.

And you, gentle reader? I hope you have faith that I will be back, with exciting tales and new recipes in hand. I've been rather remiss of late and I yearn for more regular postings, but life is very full and, as you know, it's impossible to actually make time. But I'm here now and you can always follow me on Instagram (@laurasilverman) where I hope to post evidence of me foraging for wild herbs, eating stretchy mastic ice cream and dangling my toes in azure waters. 

I leave you with a few links for inspiration, edification and entertainment, perfect for whiling away a gentle summer evening, rosé in hand...

As the season of burgers and hot dogs approaches, consider jettisoning your high fructose corn syrup-laden ketchup for this

I am so feverishly fantasizing about a trip like this one

Rural dwellers, this may snap your head back

I had no idea that you had to grow a particular kind of squash to get the right kind of seeds

A little something that might tickle your funnybone, here

Diets don't work and here's why; better yet, just read this

Juicing is not about dieting, by the way, so keep it up! And here are some suggestions for using up that pulp

I had this salad at Piora and it was one of the best things ever. Watch the video for inspiration not intimidation!

OK, here I go! I'll be back in 2 1/2 weeks...smell the flowers for me! xo