Well it isn’t hard to get up early when you know there is a garden waiting for you. I swear, every summer morning, I never get over WANTING to get up and be outside working in the dirt. Inspiring, for sure, but it just feels like me, what I should be doing, and where I should be.

Zero stress, zero outside world, zero worries. It is me, and the dirt, and the plants. Chop wood, carry water. I never forget that this is where I am at my best. Simple life, hard work, and nature. Chop wood, carry water.

Today it was pulling up my green ‘manure’ and packing our compost piles with this goodness. We grow borage, winter rye, and comfrey specifically for our compost piles, this is our green manure. It is all self seeding so it comes up where ever it wants to, adds beauty to our gardens, and then makes our dirt healthy, healthy, healthy! The goodness it packs into our soil is amazing! And I will add our wind daisies, sunflowers, cosmos, or what ever flowering plants we have in abundance. Today, Ocean and I filled three wheel barrels full of green manure, and more to come next week!

I love that my garden is truly a full circle!

Today I noticed that my old friend, Hairy Vetch, came back. It was one of my forage/cover crops, but also a plant that replenishes the soil with nutrients (how cool is that). About twelve and a half years ago I threw out a pound of seeds, and we had the most glorious mounds of hairy vetch. I would let it grow, go to seed, collect the seeds and throw them in new areas each year. In the fall I would pull the plants up and put them in compost.

About five years ago I stopped seeing my vetch, I have no idea why, but it went away. So this is kind of a cool summer, it’s back! Lots of seed saving from this one plant is going to take place, and I will not pull this one!

We have had a bumper crop of strawberries this year. We usually loose every single one to birds or bunnies, but the borage was so heavy in this raised box that it hid the strawberries fairly well. I think my son and I ate 20 sun warmed strawberries, the flavor just makes you giggle, it is just that good!

My peony have finally opened, we have four varieties, and this one is my favorite. Simple, happy, and long lasting.

And my daughters Mexican Red rose shrub is in full bloom. It’s the only rose anything that has made it in our garden, zone 4, and continues to grow each year. So cheers to you rose shrub!

And my garden helpers, as always, having fun, enjoying the morning with me, and visa versa.

Cheers to summer mornings! ~ Nancy