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Between the hayfield for sheep, the fruits and vegetables in the gardens, and the chickens and bees, June will certainly be a busy month! There is always so much to do, but shortcuts, like chemicals to control weeds and pests, can cause more harm than good. I don’t want my pollinators negatively affected by chemicals on plants or directly impacted by the pesticides. I am happy to use the tiller as a shortcut to hand-pulling each weed, but there is also a tradeoff since a tiller can destroy the root systems that aids water percolation in the soil and helps control run-off. Many things we do to make our lives easier can have a negative effect on our health: mental, physical, and spiritual.

We will get our first, and probably last, cutting of hay off our field this month. We hope to fence this field and rotate the sheep around it. Rotational grazing is good for both the animal and plants. Parasites are a normal part of livestock management, but by rotating where our sheep graze, we can cut down their parasite load and keep the plants from being eaten down to the dirt. If the sheep are moved, they’ll also need accessible water and cover. We can build water troughs with some recycled food-grade plastic barrels and a makeshift shelter on a sled that can be dragged around with the tractor.

The beehives are located along the eastern side of the planned sheep pasture. I want to plant some summer-blooming perennials near the hives. There is a “drought” of nectar around this time, and the bees are relying on clover and the sugar water I provide for them for their food source. Clover isn’t their favorite, so I’m going to plan some better forage for them. Joe Pye Weed, bee balm, and goldenrod are at the top of my list.

The best time to harvest ripe berries is early morning. I’m glad not to go out in the hottest part of the day! We’ve had raspberries, mulberries, and strawberries from our backyard, and some blueberries from our kind neighbors. We generally eat them as fast as we pick them, so there haven’t been any jams or jellies preserved – yet. That will change with the blackberries! We already have some blackberry fruits growing after being pollinated by spiders, beetles, wasps, flies, and our own honeybees. To maximize our harvest, we pick blackberries every other day. We could easily fill a gallon bag, or more, each day during peak season. These will go into the freezer until the end of the season. Then, it will be time to make jelly and syrup. Our favorite mixture has been blackberry and peach and this year, we also have our own peaches. If we have honey to use in there, it will be a trifecta of homegrown flavor!

The vegetable garden in the backyard has been growing more weeds than produce lately and with all the rain, it has been tricky to do any effective maintenance. Last week, I took the trimmer through to knock down the weeds between rows. My husband went through a few days later and was able to take the tiller through and uproot some weeds. With this unusual weather, I’m crossing my fingers we will have a decent harvest. Weather is one thing I can’t plan for, and I must be ready to water during a drought and cross my fingers during the seemingly never-ending rain. The squash that Cassie and I planted a few weeks ago should spread through the garden and help block weeds and retain moisture by shading the ground. That means less weed pulling and watering while maintaining a healthy garden without herbicides or pesticides. Although the use of chemicals may be fast and easy, they’re not the best way for my garden.

 Summer in the Garden of Our Heart

How is your heart this season?

Summer is always a good time to slow down and take stock of where you are. Whether your daily routines are changing or remaining stable, this new season is a reminder that the year is halfway through.

How has the Lord shown up in your life this year? What has made you come to life? What has brought you sadness? What disappointed you? What new life do you see springing up? What age-old sin do you still need help to prune from your life?

Take some time and reflect on these and other questions that are coming up in your heart.

As Molly said in her garden update, taking shortcuts is not always the best way to produce fruit. She takes great care of her garden through tried and true, hands-on methods. The same thing is true in our heart. Shortcuts in the spiritual life do not bear fruit for the Kingdom.

The Lord asks each of us to slow down. To take time with Him and reflect on our experiences in order to learn and grow from them. I challenge you – and myself – to take time this summer with the Lord. Let’s invite him to reveal the good and the bad, the flowers and the weeds alike, so that we may continue to grow in holiness and become saints.