Late May / All of June: Early Growth and Excitement for Summer
In June, the garden was really starting to take shape - we hadn’t discovered all of the secret seed successes yet but the beautiful chamomile fronds were bushing out and the indigo was really filling in - the hardy hibiscus were happy in their spot and the dahlia tubers were poking out of the ground and starting to grow. The sunflowers were waist-height and the safflowers and zinnias had distinguished themselves from the weeds.
The Indigo (Persicaria Tinctoria) on June 4th, 2021
We spent time weeding, discovering new things amongst the weeds and sweating and sweating and sweating (and chugging water). It’s been a hot summer, friends. Most of the days I’ve been out in the garden it’s been in the nineties. I’m outfitted usually in hat, sunscreen long sleeve shirt and pants for sun protection, too. It’s no joke!
It’s also been a dry summer - it’s been a little hard on the plants in the garden, though Amy puts the sprinkler on every day for a little while in the cooler hours. We thank the well from the bottom of our hearts ♡.
The dye garden, taken June 12th, 2021
I’ve got a flower garden, fruit trees and a little veggie garden at home that I also tend to, and the fruit trees (including the tomato and pepper plants) are the only ones who turn the dryness into a pearl of sorts - the blueberries, peaches, peppers, figs and tomatoes are tasty this year and so are the plums I picked from my buddy / neighbors yard. All that concentrated goodness that hasn’t been watered down. Should be a good grape season for VA, too. The flowers on the other hand ... let’s say it’s hard to keep a rose firm and luscious on the bush, and there are things I was eager to see bloom this year that simply couldn’t even leaf out.
plums from a dear friend ♡
Every time it rains I find myself thanking the clouds and the sky. It rained on my birthday weekend and it was a huge gift. And often I do a little rain dance or make a little rain request in the mornings and when I see dark clouds I cross my fingers and close my eyes.