June is the month I try to finish all the tasks that I thought I was going to complete in March, April and May (funny how that works). If you find you need a break from all these chores then come join me for Happy Hour with the Whistling Gardener, this Friday, June 6, 2014, from 4-5 pm at Sorticulture in Legion Park, Everett. If you are not there I will assume you are hard at work in the garden.

The change in weather and switch of season was my signal to mix up what’s on the menu for lunch. This recipe is my take on a salad that I fell in love with from PCC. It’s a perfect recipe this time of year and I love to serve it on a bed of fresh greens.

Well, for those of you counting, this is my 52nd column for The News of Mill Creek. Perhaps for some of you it is 51 or 52 too many. For others, so I’ve been told, it has been fun.

Among the benefits of writing a column in a local venue, which includes my photo, is being recognized occasionally. Like any “fame” or “notoriety” it is often fleeting and wrong.

It should be no surprise to my readers that May is a difficult month for me to accomplish much in my own garden (it is one of the unfortunate consequences of running a garden center). I can usually steal away a few hours at the end of the day to get the beds cleaned up and the soil prepared and then thankfully the Missus steps in and does most of the planting.