Deep Summer

This morning the near full moon is setting in the southwest sky and another day is beginning.
Rains are on the way to feed and nourish this land that has seen very little rain since the Sumer Solstice,
when we built the new sweatlodge and we had a rainlodge that night.
As always, we walk upon this earth in relationship to all life. I am grateful to all who have chosen
to share part of their walk on this land with me.

I feel deep summer in my soul and see what the season has brought to be harvested.
Early abundant rains have made a harvest possible on this land, in this time of little rain.
Some things are very abundant such as sweet annie , Artmesia annua.
What a sweet annie forest we have this year !  Growing 10ft tall and fragrant.
Sweet fennel is 8ft and beautiful in flower and unripened seed ,ready for harvest and the butterflies.
Basil is abundant and loving the heat of this deep summer, requiring water from the well occasionally,
in order to thrive and put off flowering and seeding.

The popcorn is 8ft or more and feeding the raccoons each night. The tomatoes and peppers are doing well but will not produce much fruit if the rains withhold their gift.
The sugar snap peas germinated and became food for the rabbits as the rains had stopped.
I will wait a bit longer, dreaming of rain to plant the fall lettuces,greens and herbs.

Deadheading the echinacea so as to have more bloom into the autumn. Leaving the seed heads for the birds and the earth so we will have this sweet medicine in other years.
Mullein still standing tall and food for the downy woodpeckers and orchard orioles.
Catnip past it's beauty and harvest time ,yet will feed the orioles and finches into the season.

Hibiscus blooms short yet lovely. Comfrey and nettles harvested twice and growing still, fulfilling
the need to flower and seed thus spread their abundance.
Lemon Balm and mints lush with fragrant growth this spring into early summer, now in deep summer are flowering and ready to harvest ,as the healing essential oils within are at their highest.
Lavender is past it's flowering but the plants are thriving in these driest of soils,
emitting there healing fragrance into the air. Leaves ready for harvest and creating Herbes de Provence
for your winter soups,stews and roasted vegetables.

So much more is ready for harvest,deadheading,cutting back and made ready for beautiful gardens in the autumn. Each season, as each year, brings a different garden with it. And as with every year the
gardens we tour during the Herb Festival this year will be very different from the gardens of other years.
We will learn new things because of the difference and therefore, we will grow.

 Deep Summer has come
 Laden with fruit
Water moves on breath
Trees stand still
With bare movement


     raindancing~ Constance