One rainy June evening, I listened to the frogs call and reminisce about recent happenings around the garden and the forest. The ferns in the woods have reached their full size. I've been searching for the tallest Interrupted Ferns to make trails to and one day place chairs there for people to sit. These types of ferns grow in rings; large enough to sit inside. One ring is over 4 feet tall. I think the ferns are my spirit plant. Perhaps I'm part fairy. I just love them so much. The Cinnamon Ferns are my favorite type of fern on our land. Their fruiting spike really looks like a cinnamon stick!
White pines are beginning to produce pollen from their male cones, which results in lots of yellow dust everywhere. Sometime I hope to gather enough to cook with. I've heard it's tasty and very healing.
Last week my son, Jesse, and I gathered young tender spruce tips for the first time, which tasted unbelievably good... like citrus. I made rhubarb squares with some spruce tips and also sun tea. I tried the balsam fir tips too, but they were so bitter.
The flowers of May have passed, and it hurts my heart to see them gone: lilacs, daffodils, apples, lady slippers, rhodora and violets. This month I look forward to the peony blossoms; one of my favorite June events. The roses growing in our yard (probably some invasive ornamental variety) are ready to pop any day. Each year I collect them for drying. There is nothing more magical than enjoying spending time with their pink fragrance.
This year will be the first year our strawberries will have fruit, and yesterday I picked the first 2 ripe ones and boy, were they tasty! The hard work of planting them last year with irrigation tape, fencing, and then learning how to care for them will be rewarded soon.
The garden is almost planted completely. The only thing left are the bush beans to seed. The sugarsnap peas are about 2 feet high. Lettuce and spinach leaves have grown, and I've been eating my own salad for the past week. That makes me so happy ... to go get groceries in our own yard!
The rhubarb this year is huge. Jesse even hid in the patch during hide-and-seek. One of my most treasured routines is going to the garden early in the morning to pick rhubarb stalks for breakfast. I cook them with other sweet fruit like banana, berries, or apples and add oatmeal or muesli to it.
Jesse and I made rhubarb concrete stepping stones a couple weeks ago. It was a satisfying and enjoyable project that I hope to do again. The 4 stones I made are strong enough to hold my weight. I placed them on one of the fern paths near the labyrinth.
Last Sunday I spent three hours alone in the forest with my new "pod," a tent to enjoy nature without any bug bites. It was the most restful, peaceful and nourishing experience (yes, these will be available for forest bathing guests!). It really reminded me how important connection to nature is to my well-being and peace of mind.
I look forward to June's treasures and surprises in store on my forest and gardening adventures. Each day is filled with so many beautiful details to notice, admire, and be a witness to. Nature really provides us the opportunity to savior and enjoy our brief visit on this beautiful planet.
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