There’s a moment every June when summer stops feeling like an idea and starts feeling real. This is that week.

The sweet peas are blooming, and the fragrance is something I wait for all year. The hydrangeas are beginning to open. The garden is fuller and more layered every single day, shifting colors and textures in a way that makes every walk through it feel a little different than the last. And in the middle of all of it, we’re getting ready to untie the lines and head north aboard Wildflower next week.

Part garden, part water, always a little adventure. That’s summer around here.

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The weather this week has been all over the place. We had rain for a few days, then mild temps in the 60s and low 70s, and now we’re heading into 85-90°F. heat.

I’m so grateful for the air conditioning we put in last January. I still remember when most homes in the Pacific Northwest didn’t have it. We just didn’t need it the way we do now. The forecast looks like things will cool back into the 70s around the time we leave, which feels like good timing.

In the Garden

The sweet peas are just starting to bloom, and I can’t get enough of them. It’s the fragrance more than anything. That scent is one of the best things about June. I’m absolutely bringing some aboard Wildflower when we leave. A little bit of the garden coming with us is just what I need.

The sunflowers are close.

The zinnias, after all that early pest drama, have actual blooms on them this week, which felt like a small victory. And the dahlias are taller than they usually are at this point in the season, which has me very curious about what’s coming.

This Week’s Evening Garden Walk

You know by now that I can’t resist the garden after dark.

The bistro lights come on, everything takes on that warm glow, and suddenly I’m out there with my camera way past when I should have called it a night.

Here’s a look around from earlier this week.

One Last Walk Through the Garden

Before we go, I always take one last slow walk through the garden. Check the containers, cut a final bouquet, notice what’s just about to bloom. I try to mentally freeze it all in place for a little while.

There’s always that pull of wanting to stay just a little longer because the garden is getting so good, and at the same time, feeling genuinely excited for what’s ahead.

Untying the Lines for Summer

This week, we officially begin our summer trip aboard Wildflower.

We’re heading north toward Canada’s Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound, and eventually the San Juan Islands on the way home. These are both some of our favorite places, and a few we haven’t explored yet.

I’m already thinking about quiet mornings with my iced latte and Jax and Ollie in the pilot house, small harbor towns, and farmers’ markets.

The one thing I keep reminding myself… I planned this trip deliberately so we’d be home in time for the dahlia blooms and the vegetable harvest. I always miss that part. Not this year.

This Week from Years Past

This same week last year, we did something we’d never done before. We took Wildflower out and spent a couple of nights on our own buoy, anchored right across from the beach house.

It turned out to be one of the most peaceful things we’ve done. We kayaked back to the cottage to get photos of Wildflower floating in the bay, and seeing our little home from the water gave me a whole new perspective.

The weather that week hit the mid-to-high 80s, which was warm for us, and we spent as much time on the water as we possibly could before heading back to shore.

Ollie preferred staying inside with the air conditioning on.

On the Blog This Week

My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web This Week

I’ve fallen in love with this cozy eco beachfront cottage in Australia!

Personalize your table with these DIY block print napkins.

Here’s how to achieve a Nancy Meyers-inspired interior in your home decor.

Visit this Virginia farm, a place of hope and healing.

All you need for summer entertaining with backyard cookout ideas & recipes.

I can’t wait to try this BLT pasta salad recipe.

My Favorite 4th of July Inspiration

Looking Ahead

Next week’s Saltwater Sounds comes to you from the water.

The garden will be growing while we’re gone, and our housesitter and garden helper have promised to send me plenty of pictures. I’ll be keeping a close eye from the boat.

Wishing you a beautiful June week wherever you are.

Until next time,