The last week was kind of eerie with the gray over-cast skies layering the Bay Area with a blanket of wildfire smoke.  I smelled smoke in the morning when I tip-toed outside.  We had a health advisory to stay indoors.  Lightning ignited fires all over Northern California, and the drought has increased the damage.

Block party. We were lucky on Saturday June 22 as that was the day of our block party and the weather was perfect.  This year we set up the table and chairs, on the street where I live, and my front bench was smack dab in the middle of the action.  It was fun. 

A Street of Trees. This Saturday was the big day for planting all the new trees we all ordered for the median strip in front of our houses.  Gunther (my son for those of you who don't already know!) who lives across the street with Eliza and Anders and Auggie, was the instigator of the idea.  Trees make a street, and our street only has two or three, so Gunther went around and talked to neighbors and people caught the spirit. 

He ordered a bunch of trees from a nursery up in Sonoma County, and they were delivered to my driveway space. Saturday everybody was out jack-hammering away old ugly cement and digging huge holes for the new maples.  I bought a Japanese maple for the side of my house. 

Last week, my friend Roy planed a Meyer Lemon  tree, an orange tree, and a small Japanese maple in my back garden.  That finishes the big planting, and now I have to get out there an do the succulents and salvia. 

Bee Friendly. I want to make my garden bee and bird friendly.  I am very worried about the plight of the bumble bee.  I was reading an article that says the bee population has decreased by about 30%.  If we lose bees and their pollination, it's scary how many fruits and nuts will disappear!

Maybe you can plan something this month in any kind of space available--even pots on a window sill with flowers will help.  Ask the people at a nursery what flowers bees like and help them out!