July Update - The Flower/Veggie Garden

Summer is in high season here at Leyden Glen Farm. We have had an extraordinarily hot July with absolutely no rain — unlike last year when the rain wouldn’t stop. Until a few days ago when it rained and rained and rained. So glorious. I got my annual flower garden/veggie garden in and we are eating lots of squash and cucumbers, parsley and basil. Lost the beans to the birds - bummer - they love bean sprouts. Two weeks ago I planted the sunflowers. With the lack of rain, the sunflowers weren’t germinating. But the recent rain changed that and they are popping through the soil. Yay.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to plant this huge garden. With The Farmer’s hip surgery, I almost didn’t. But in mid June, just after before he went in the hospital, I decided to give it a go. I am glad I did because it gives me some quiet time outside by myself with the birds and the bugs and the disappointments and victories of gardening. I think that is what keeps gardeners gardening..... the possibilities of the next garden, the next year and what might be. All the unknowns - the weather, the bugs and blights, the weeds, the birds snacking on sunflower and bean sprouts - they all are uncontrollable by humans and they make it all so interesting and challenging and beautiful.

I have been spending a lot of time in my Pottery Shed getting pieces thrown and dried out enough for the underglaze decoration. Like I shared a few posts ago, I got accepted into The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival which happens the weekend of September 28/29. The Pottery Shed is next to my garden and right next to the sheep pasture. It is a walk from the house and I have to tote buckets of water down the hill to use while making the pottery. It is a very sweet little building that is serviceable and simple. The renovation of the Pottery Shed was part of my last book Crafting A Patterned Home. I totally love this space and the hours I spend there working with the clay on my wheel and building slab pieces. 

Making pottery is a lot like gardening. Because I am no expert wheel thrower - nor do I every intend or want to be - I sit down at my wheel with a ball of clay and then see what happens. I “center” the clay with an idea of what I want to make that day. And then I see what happens as I work it with my hands. Lately I have been making oodles of vases. Cut flowers from my garden have always been an important thing in my home and the vases that hold them - whether antique or handmade - are full of color and pattern. The vases look so pretty on a shelf all year long. I hope that people at the festival will think the same thing too. 

Next week I am going to try to start making some mugs because I know people who love and buy handmade pottery love a new coffee mug. There is something so intimate about making a handmade mug that will be used by the purchaser often. There is a special connection between maker and buyer that a handmade mug makes happen. That a handmade mug will go out into someone else’s home and become part of their special morning or afternoon ritual of coffee or tea is just so sweet. 

Here are a few photos from the summer garden and work in progress in the studio. 

Hollyhocks in front of the studio. I didn't plant these - they appeared magically. A few years ago I had a lemon hollyhock that died off. These must have come from it. 

  
The veggie and cutting garden. All mulched except for the sunflowers. 

Zinnias all pruned - now waiting for flowers.

The pottery studio

Some of the vases I have been making

The sheep grazing every evening behind my pottery studio.

Vases in progress - before and after decoration and awaiting firing.

Some finished vases and some before bisque firing but already painted.

Hope you all are having a nice summer and getting some outside time and projects done!