While everyone is mourning the end of summer, I’m over here getting excited about new stationery. Just because my kids are no longer in school, doesn’t mean mom isn’t able to pick up new notebooks and pens. There’s something about the start of a new school year that has me excited for a fresh start, it must be the new notebook thing. Give me a new fountain pen and a fresh moleskin notebook and I’m a very happy Indie.
Back in June I told myself I was going to read more and scroll less over the next 3 months. I am proud to report (see I’m in school mode), I finished fourteen books, including The Edens series by Devney Perry, thank you Gerianne for the recommendation. The series was a perfect summer read about a family in Montana. Sadly, for my husband, I now want to live in rural Montana (just kidding, sorta, on the moving part). By the middle of July, I had stopped reaching for my phone at night to scroll. Unfortunately, I also realized I wasn’t gaining followers, because I was nose deep in books vs community engagement. So I need to figure that out, suggestions welcome…also follow me at https://www.instagram.com/indielee (shameless I know).
One of the other things I also promised myself, is that I was only going to plant herbs and veggies that we would actually eat or use. In the past, I would just buy tons of seeds, over-plant, and see a lot go to waste. This year was very intentional as I only have four raised beds at the moment, next year I have much bigger plans. I really hope my husband doesn’t read this (he has no idea what I have cooking up in my head).
While, yes, I might have gone a little overboard on the tomatoes, I’m learning to cook with them, so I’m seeing that as a win. By the way, if you’ve never tried basil garlic pickled cherry tomatoes, you are missing out. I’m on my fourth batch, I have absolutely stood at the counter eating them straight out of the jar. I feel more connected to my food than I have in a really long time. No shocker that I’m also noticing a difference in my health as a result, much more to discuss on that in another post.
Now onto the roses…I’m forever grateful to my friend Noelle, who went to the garden center with me, and Lydia Millen (IYKYK), who inspired me to get three, not one but three, David Austin climbing roses. Oh my gosh, they are starting to trellis up the greenhouse, and they’ve given me the most spectacular blooms since the day I purchased them. Needless to say, I will be getting more David Austin roses next year (again, praying Chad doesn’t see this).
Not everything I planted was a success. The potato tower was a complete failure, I got 5 potatoes. I have absolutely no idea what I did wrong, but that’s the beauty of gardening for me: trying new things, failing, and then figuring out what you did wrong so you can do better the next time. I can tell you my arch trellis in the raised bed has more birdhouse gourds than I know what to do with, so I will say that little experiment was a complete success. My neighbors are going to have a ton of gourds to decorate.
The other thing I picked back up this season is seed saving. I’m excited to build my inventory for next year. There’s so much to seed saving properly: How to properly collect and store, what you can and cannot sell, what you can and cannot share, but that’s an essay for another day.
The most perfect way to wrap up this incredible summer growing season is my speaking event in New Hampshire with Shannon. The Bloom Effect, Wednesday September 9, at Bird Dog Farm + Cider in Greenland, New Hampshire. Shannon is the one at Fox Cottage Farm who sent me the dahlia tubers this spring. Five of us across two panels talking about flowers and farming and what it does to a person, amazing bites and then a dahlia u-pick out in the field under lights afterward. Tickets are here: https://www.foxcottagefarm.com/products/the-bloom-effect If you’re anywhere near the Seacoast, please join me for this special event.
With love from Dragonfly Farm,
Indie