It seems my dedication to the pots that dot my deck are starting to pay off. Lots of blooms and blossoms to talk about, as well as some very mini-snacks.
New Growth
As sort of an after thought, I figured I'd give growing herbs one last shot. It wasn't an overly thrilling prospect after the last pot of dill committed suicide in the midst of a wind storm. Turns out it wasn't such a bad idea, though.
Parsley, Basil, and Chives
My chives, basil, and parsley are starting to look pretty strong. I was surprised to see them sprout after I accidentally buried the seeds in too much dirt. There should be more growth coming eventually, just as soon as the seedlings dig their way out of the dirt.
I have started a pot of oregano, too. They were only seeds I could find at the store this late into the planting season. They've started to pop up, but for now they're just too small to photograph.
Old Growth
The Lazarus pepperoncini continues to look like nothing ever happened, so long as you don't notice the other pepper plants around it that are twice its size. No blooms yet, but that's to be expected. I'm still simply elated by the fact that it's come back from the dead.
Pepperoncini
The Start of the Next Step
Some of my peppers now actually have peppers. Imagine my surprise when I was watering the plants and discovered the first of my bell peppers dangling from it's branch.
The first bell pepper of the season!
After finding that, I looked around at the rest of the plants with blooms. Turns out the fruit grows directly out of the flower, with the petals protecting the pepper in its first days of existence. I'll admit, I feel like I did that day in science class when they talked about how a baby forms.
Bell peppers, in transition from flower to fruit
They're not the only ones, though. One of the tomatoes has several blooms in that transition stage, when the fruit is probably no more than a cluster of cells. I look forward to getting photos of those when they get big enough to see.
The onions are starting to look good. Turns out I didn't buy the variety I meant to purchase. I thought I picked up a bag of simple garden onions, the kind you could pluck from the ground, wash up, and munch on. 
Mmmmm, very oniony onions!
In reality, my garden is filled with white onions, so instead of adding a little extra crunch to my summer meals, I have to just let them grow and wait to enjoy them this winter. On the bright side, they're adding a potent punch to the aromas of my garden. It's hard to forget that they're growing.
This strawberry plant is leaps and bounds more productive than its predecessor. If you look closely, you can spot a few baby berries nestled in with the leaves and blossoms. It always strikes me how delicate and pretty this plant looks when it's at its peak.
See the baby berries, all cuddled up together
All in all, this deck is definitely starting to look like a jungle. Friends who come visit say it's pretty easy to pick out my balcony when they drive by because of all the green leaves peaking through the slats. I can only imagine how crazy the growth will get at harvest time.
All the pretty pots, lined up in a row
The End of the Line
Sadly, the paper lanterns that served as icing to my outdoor paradise are no more. This is what they looked like between storms that wreaked havoc on the whole area.
The last days of the paper lanterns
The holes were pretty convincing evidence that they wouldn't survive the summer, but I didn't think they'd be gone in a matter of days. But, alas, 70 mph straight-line winds and pounding rain are no match for paper. When the clouds cleared, I began the process of unstringing the lights and squishing them into the trash can.
It's probably for the best this way. The tomato plants were beginning to rub and catch on the decorative additions to the great outdoors, and it would have only been a matter of time until the peppers plants began pushing up on them.
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