I had almost given up hope entirely on my garden within the gate.  And then our incredibly energetic, hard working, sweet friends came and weeded it all and plunked the enthusiasm right back in me, all in one fell swoop.  Yup.  They are amazing friends to have.  I know.

Now that the veggies aren’t being choked to death by thistle and horsetail and crab grass I can see, this garden is doing spectacularly!  While, last years may have been a bit more.. maintained..  I am feeling dandy and fine about this years too.  We are currently eating lots and lots of chard and kale and peas to our hearts content.  I pulled up all the turnips and beets a few days ago and replaced them with a new set of beets and another go at radishes.  Hopefully those root maggots are kept at bay by the wood ash I spread around them.  I think I will harvest garlic next week which is beyond exciting to me.  Drying fifty beautiful heads of garlic will be very, very, satisfying.  Lima beans, pole beans, edamame and bush beans are all on there way to the pot.  We ate our first meal of well earned fava beans last week and let me tell you- They are worth the work.  Buttery silky deliciousness. I had heard that in Italy they have a festival each year when the fava beans are ready, which of course inspired me to try the same.  We may not have had a festival, but we did have a feast.  Our plates were full of our very own chicken, topped with a menagerie of deliciously green veggies and neighbor made and grown cheese.  Yes mamm.

The flowers are killing me with their wild beauty.  I don’t even care that they are so unmanageably out of hand.  They are gorgeous.  Like colorful stars across the sky.  The cut flowers are slowly being swallowed by grass in the front pasture, and I feel fine about that.  I can still split the green stalks and snip a bouquet for company.  And that feels good enough.  The sunflowers are well on their way to being state fair winners and the corn is chest high already!  Yes!  Summer!  You are so very fine!

And now whenever I haul those veggies in, I get to serve them up in what feels like a brand new kitchen!  I spent a couple of late nights this week drinking beer and sloshing paint around.  What do you think??  (I still need to go in with a skinny brush and paint in between the slats, but a perfectionist I am not, and will get to it when I do.

I am in love with it!  It is the perfect shade I was looking for.  Of course, I shop for wine, nail polish and wall paint in precisely the same manner.  By the name.  And with moonbeam and incense on the lid, how could I go wrong!  (HA!)