Summer Solstice

This Summer starts with a healthy dose of heat and humidity. And though we’ve had rain every week, it still feels a little dry in the garden (the corn are really calling to me to carry water up to them — days past we had a watering system in the garden but between changing up how we do things and just not being able to be there, we’ve reverted back to basics — heavy basics). The artichokes are growing nicely though, and cukes, melons, peppers, beans, ground cherry, herbs and flowers (sage, feverfew, hyssop, echinacea, wild bee balm, blue vervain, basils, parsley, viola/pansy, calendula, marigold, cornflower, poppy, baloon flower, cosmos, zinnia, and sweet pea), along with other perennials like rhubarb, asparagus, nettle, hops, and visitors such as mullein, primrose, and red clover. We’ve got a lot of fruit now in and around the garden such as Itasca grapes, and now a lovely red grape I can’t remember the name of, Black Haw, Huckleberry, Bear Berry, late raspberries, a couple of apple trees, a new line of plum trees.

The kid has a birthday in a week (15!) and is hoping to find some time for mini golf, a visit with friends, dinner out, and maybe a day in Portland — we’ll see if we have time for that. We had big plans awhile back to travel but that cannot come to pass — it’s hard leaving a business, especially when business is slow due to economic concerns and misunderstandings (depending on small & local — not corporate and crappy — is the way to succeed, but you have to show up to it). It was easier leaving chickens! So, we will do our best to make her celebrations special. Next month we have another Renaissance Faire so that will be fun (Acton, ME).

We went up to The Good Life Center to welcome international climate activist guests and meet the stewards. It was a lovely day full of cape views and lupines. A good day was had by all. It is so nice and fulfilling to go up and be in that space — reinvigorates me every time.

Until then, we will keep on keepin’ on. We’ve got great things happening at the shop as the homestead grows wild and verdant. Right now the multiflora rose hedge is in bloom (my beautiful Maleficent hedge!), the Mock Orange (mine and the swallowtail favorite) is flowering, the Concord grapes are taking over their arbor and the Forsythia next to it, the tea roses are resplendent with flower heads, and we put in a great vertical flowerbox garden wall around the heat pump with thyme, petunias, lemon balm, pansies, chamomile, strawberries, gifted ginseng, and a couple other cute flowery things.

Happy Summer Solstice!