August~Summer Life & All is Wondrous

What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine and curious peach Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.

~Andrew Marvell, Thoughts in a Garden

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Seed Saver by Steven Kenny[/caption]

So here we are smack-dab in the middle of summer and it is all wondrous. Never mind that the volunteer seedlings I thought were cucumbers turned out to be acorn squash, and the arugula turned out to be daikon radish. These are the small risks I take in my unstructured gardening style. In my garden, at least one plant of each variety I grow goes to seed as a kind of an offering. This practice also contributes to my enjoyment and edification in witnessing the whole life cycle culminating in the compost bin. And so, in the next season I am greeted with surprises and get more practice in being comfortable with uncertainty. It’s a low risk place to start and the results are always delicious.

And you—where are you on the Wheel of the Year, dear Reader? Are you experiencing a Summer phase of your life, or are you moving into Lammastide? What are you tending? What are you reaping? What hard-won wisdom is yours to share?

~Joanna Powell

Great beauty and bounty to one and all,

Teresa, spirit of Thule, Tucker and all at Paradise Found