Praise be to God for another day of mercy. The sun is shining and the world has blossomed with new life. Spring is advancing into summer. May brought a harvest of radishes, chives, dandelions, violets, spruce tips, and various other spring crops and herbs. Such abundance from our small land, if we just seek diligence in our labor. The Gray Catbirds are here singing in the brush by our house and the Baltimore Orioles continue to return to our deck for a nibble of grape jelly. Fledgling Robins were throughout our yard all month as they learned their way around this strange new world. Mama Blue Jay who lives in a cedar tree by our garden, has hatched her young and they will be fledging within a few weeks! She spends her days guarding the area by perching on our garden fence.

Such simple, gentle reminders that the cycle of seedtime and harvest is promised to us no matter how long or cold the winter.

June is here now and will bring local strawberries that will need canned, frozen, jammed, and dipped in chocolate. Chamomile harvests have begun and raspberry leaves were picked before the canes put their energy into flowers and berries. Raspberry leaves are fantastic for women’s health and hormones and I like to have them dried on hand in my herbal apothecary for the winter months. We have also begun harvesting lemon balm, oregano, and mint. It is all looking so lush and the more you pick and pinch, the bushier and fuller it grows. On the first of June I picked the first bouquet of peonies and feverfew. Our peas and tomato plants have flowers and look promising.

Spruce tip tincture and dandelion root tincture in our herbal apothecary cabinet

But homesteading is not always picture perfect. There is beauty and many joys for sure, but there are also variables out of our control. We have had a groundhog taking residence on our property and this past week he found his way through our side garden fence. Before we realized, he had helped himself to our brussel sprouts, carrot tops, snap peas and cilantro. Every single sunflower has been chomped and our purple cone flowers are missing most of their leaves. The beans that were finally sprouting are now mysteriously missing. He really has had a grand time snacking.

Unfortunately that is simply gardening in a fallen world. There will be pests and diseases and rodents and crop loss. Man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps. Similarly, man plants his garden and the Lord decides what will grow. We can plant and weed and fence and fertilize, but God gives the growth.

And so we plod on with a hope and a confidence that one day there will be a perfect garden and those that believe on Jesus Christ as Lord will be the ones to work it and enjoy the fruits of it.

The garden moments before a thunderstorm. Can you spot Mama Blue?

Although most of our planting (aside from our groundhog-related replanting that needs to be done) is complete, there are still many projects around the yard that need finished up this month. I look forward to things feeling “finished” and then maybe we can actually sit back and enjoy a bit of summer before heavy harvest comes in. My only goal is to soak up as much sun as I possibly can these next few months!

I plotted on paper our back and side garden layouts so you all can have an idea of the space we are working with and what is growing where. (I tried to do one of our front yard as well but everything is jumbled in a cottage garden style that it was hard to accurately portray what we have out there. I think I will do a separate post about our edible landscaping!)

We put the new beds in with more traditional market rows in mind, and they are more-so than our other gardens, but I couldn’t help making them more “potager” by mixing in marigolds and zinnias and sunflowers in random spaces. Things like that don’t really translate on paper, so plan on enjoying a full garden tour on my Youtube channel later in the season :)

Although it has been hard for patience to be planted in my heart this season, I know it will reap a bountiful spiritual harvest if I allow it to take root. I will write again soon, my friends. Blessings! —Kaetlyn

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:7-8