O is for Oasis

Our inner backyard is in the shade most of the hot summer afternoon, providing us with a cool oasis while the Mediterranean climate pins us down until evening.


I build up a collection of potted plants each season to keep us company. This year, we are featuring geraniums, a pepper plant, glads which haven't flowered yet, a strawberry pot, basil, cilantro, sweet william, pansies, and a creeping geranium.


I can sit in my knitting chair in the relatively cool shade, while the sun beats down behind me on the front lawn, breathing in the aroma of my jasmine, partially in view on the right side of the photo. Heaven is right outside my bedroom door.