June Garden Tour

June was a good month. The kids finished school, the oldest started summer school, we celebrated the dad's in our life, celebrated my mom and brother's birthday, and have enjoyed spending time around the homestead. We've settled into life with chickens and ducks, reveling in the ease and simple joy of watching them roam while we work in the gardens. We've even made a new kitty friend.

When my dad was in town, we knocked out some much needed projects in and outside of our house. From painting the kitchen, adding a pantry space, and putting drain rock around the backyard raised gardens and greenhouse. Everything looks so fresh, clean, and new!

We quickly finished our strawberry harvest (currently waiting for the next little batch), enjoyed fresh snap peas off the vine, still harvesting lots of kale, red lettuce, raspberries, and fresh herbs. I've taken to learning more about the wildflowers that popped up this year. Saving their seeds and drying out those with herbal uses has been pretty fun. I've also been drying all the rose petals I can for jellies and dried petals for various uses as well.

June has really brought everything to life. The greenhouse is ready for an overhaul of replanting as everything is growing nice and big in there. There has been a fair share of gloom and rain, but I've enjoyed the break from heat. The gardens have seemed to enjoy it as well. There have been so many firsts as well, little things like our first heirloom green bean flowers. Lots of squash has voluntarily come up, so I've been searching for creative ways to work them into my small spaces. Oh, and we extended the front yard gardens all the way around the yard, so it's been fun filling that in.

I'm excited to see what July will offer us, but really, I can't believe we're in the middle of the year and soaking up summer already! Things are good and the hard work is paying off. Happy July my friends!