Reading · Front Yard Veggies

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“The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” – Charles Darwin

As someone who considers themselves to be borderline chronically online (but working on it), I feel as though I was relatively offline this week —only to be smacked in the face with news upon sitting down at my computer and scrolling my feeds today. A resurgence of screwworm? Hunter Biden doing some grade A shitposting? 450,000 Americans have been affected by the tick-borne disease alpha-gal?

At least once a day I fantasize about a return to early 2000s technology. Like, remember the ability to log off? Or put up an away message? I would give anything to hear the sweet, sweet sound of the AOL log-in tone, and to feel the bliss of a brain unencumbered with the 24/7 horrors of the world. As someone born in 1986, I have distinct memories of Before Internet Times and, dear reader, they were good. Much like the lyrics “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got' ‘til it’s gone.”

But whenever I think or write about this line of thinking, I fear coming off like I’m whining about everything-was-better-back-in-the-good-old-days — and that’s not exactly what I think, but in some ways it is! Last week, we talked about wanting a 90s summer, but more than merely a summer, I want that year round. And it may be a privileged take, but I miss not knowing everything that’s going on in every corner of the world, but at the same time feel as though if I don’t keep tabs on The News, then I’ll get canceled for not being informed.

However, what good is chronically being informed if we never channel our frustration and rage into action? We’ve all (myself included) gotten too complacent with shouting (typing) our disbelief/anger/takes into the ether of the Internet, all the while forgetting that if we’re not a part of the solution, then we’re a part of the problem.

And while I don’t have all the answers, nor would I ever pretend to, I know that doing small, local actions helps me feel better about my place in the world. I took a volunteer position on my town’s Agricultural Commission, to meet more like-minded members in the community, and to be involved in a minor way in small-town politics that directly affects my day-to-day-life. Right now, we’re working with the Board of Health to develop animal keeping regulations in our town, and it feels good to speak up, have a say in the matter, and put forth suggestions that are being incorporated into the final document.

For instance, the BOH floated the idea of an outright ban on roosters, to which I countered with the issue of food security and local food systems —plenty of folks keep roosters and raise their own meat birds, and at a time when grocery prices are through the roof, I felt it wrong to prohibit people (on appropriate sized lots, of course) from doing so.

Additionally embarking on the year-long Master Gardener certification has also scratched the itch of making a small difference and getting involved at a community level. My favorite sites to volunteer at so far have been farms that grow food for local food pantries, and teaching gardens at local schools. It’s a way to share my skills and knowledge with a broader audience, instead of merely posting memes and short-form videos that are at the mercy of billionaires’ algorithms. These days, posting on social media feels pointless —no one sees anything unless you post something as rage bait. And energetically, I hate doing that! It feels icky! But that’s why you see so much rage-inducing content these days, because it’s truly one of the only things that “does numbers.”

Also helping out in my kids’ schools feels incredibly gratifying, and something I’m so happy to be able to do. They’ll probably reach an age where it’s embarrassing to see their mom in school, but for now I relish the opportunity to get to know their teachers, classmates, and school administrators.

So when things feel uncertain, scary (meteor exploding in Massachusetts and shaking our house!?), or downright maddening, I try to bring my attention back to things in my circle of control (rather than my circle of concern):

Everything we worry about lives in one of three circles. The outermost is our Circle of Concern, or things that affect us but that we have zero control over. This includes such things as weather, the economy, traffic, wars, natural disasters, and the overall news.

Then the middle ring is our Circle of Influence, or things we can’t control directly but can affect through our actions. Our relationships, our reputation, our home environment, and the like.

And at the center is our Circle of Control, or the only things we can actually, truly control. What we say, our behaviors and actions, our decisions, how we spend our money, our attitude, what we eat. Although don’t get me started on hyper-palatable ultra-processed food highjacking our brain’s pleasure centers, and agricultural subsidies given to the food industry to economically incentivize the production of said food! That’s a topic best left for a future newsletter.

But what we eat is something I think (and write) about a lot. Growing your own food, eating locally, cooking from scratch, and preserving the harvest might all seem insignificant given what we’re up against, but they all feel to me like acts of control in a world that feels like it’s spiraling out of control daily.

So on days when the news feels like it’s all too much to bear, like this god-forsaken screw worm nightmare, I check myself and ask which circle is this in? Most of the time, the honest answer is that it’s in my circle of concern but not my circle of control, much to my chagrin. So I try to redirect that energy toward something tangible and within my circle of control, which these days is the garden, parenting our kids, my attitude, the books I read, what I write, town meetings, my volunteer hours, the chickens, and the birds at the feeders.

Until next week, tending my silly little garden to avoid falling into a pit of existential despair,

Amy

Things are moving and grooving out in the garden finally! My tomato plants need staking, and I’ve been harvesting lettuce multiple times a week to encourage it to keep producing. I’m curious to see how the various heat-tolerant/bolt-resistant varieties I planted this year fare in our New England summers —though June has started off pleasantly mild so far. Mid-80s, albeit with less rain that I would like for this time of year. We’re in a month-long mandatory outdoor watering ban in my town currently, and though our yard’s irrigation system is from our well, not town water, I have resisted turning it on yet for fear of ~*the optics*~. So instead I’ve been surreptitiously hand-watering early in the morning.

Last week I got all of my beans, corn, squash, and cucumbers sown, and I’m eagerly waiting on them all to emerge. Peas are flowering, radishes are popping out of the garden daily, and I randomly found an entire area of self-seeded bok choy in a pathway. Not wanting the plants’ energy to have been spent in vain, I dug them all up and tucked them around the garden so they didn’t get trampled on.

Other goings-on:

We had an indigo bunting at our bird feeder, and I squealed with delight. Now if only we could entice a Scarlett tanager to visit…
The peonies are blooming and I cannot get enough of them. Also our tea roses are blooming and the scent is downright heavenly.
Oodles of praying mantis babies are patrolling the veggie garden.
We have fruit on most of our fruit trees, which is very exciting!
I keep spotting a Northern Flicker hanging around the garden and yard, so hopefully it’s eating loads of grubs.
We discovered a caterpillar munching on some native violets, and discovered that it is going to turn into a fritillary butterfly! I had no idea they were host plants, but I let them grow wherever they pop up.
The wisteria covering our deck’s pergola is blooming, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s the native variety of the invasive one. If anyone can tell for certain, please let me know?! Though it pretty much sticks to this area so I’m not too concerned about it spreading…and I just love it so much.

I'm writing from zone 6a in Central Massachusetts, so if you're in a warmer zone you're probably a few weeks ahead of me, and if you're further north you might be a few weeks behind. Adjust accordingly!

Water, water, water. Newly transplanted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and squash all need consistent moisture to establish, and on hot days things can dry out very quickly. Water deeply in the morning so plants have moisture reserves going into the heat of the day. Wilting by midday is normal and doesn't always mean they need more water. From NC Cooperative Extension: Wilting occurs when a plant’s cells lose turgor pressure—that internal water pressure that keeps stems and leaves firm. As temperatures rise, plants lose water through their leaves faster than they can absorb it from the soil. The result? Drooping leaves and stems.
Cucumbers, melons, and squash…final call to get them in. If they’re not in the ground yet, this weekend is your last comfortable window before the heat really sets in. I picked up a backup tray of cucumbers just in case my seeds don’t come up, as a summer without cucumbers is too sad to imagine! Both direct sow and transplant work fine at this point. Warm soil is ideal for these crops, and they’ll germinate and establish quickly in this weather.
Game over for cool-season crops. With temps pushing into the mid-80s this week, any remaining spinach, arugula, and non-heat-tolerant lettuce is bolting or about to bolt whether you like it or not. My mizuna patch is bolting daily, and the chickens are enjoying loads of leafy green treats. Harvest everything that’s left right now, or take your chances and leave some of them and see how they fare. I love to use super gallon sized bags to store harvested greens —just pick and store without washing, and they can keep for ~2 weeks in the fridge.
Succession sow beans. Bush beans and pole beans absolutely love this weather, so if you got your first round in a few weeks ago, sow another round now for a continuous harvest through summer. In fact, right after I hit send on this, I’m marching out to the garden to do just this very thing!
Thin your carrots. If yours are up and looking feathery, this is the week to get in there and thin to 2-3 inches apart. This is one of those incredibly tedious tasks that kind of sucks to do in the moment, but is worth it when you’re harvesting big ol’ proper carrots instead of the little donkers I sometimes grow when I don’t heed my own advice.
Direct sow flowers. Keep ‘em coming! I keep tossing down sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and nasturtiums to ensure I have loads of my favorites in the garden. Also because I’m at war with the chipmunks and so far, they’re winning the sunflower battle but I hope to outlast them with my tenacity.
Mulch, mulch, baby! A 2-3 inch layer of mulch around your plants is the difference between watering once a day and watering twice. It keeps soil moisture in, soil temperature regulated, and weeds suppressed. If you have wood chips, compost, or straw, get to mulching. This year, I finally picked up a leaf mulcher to use in the garden, so I’ll be putting that to use. I used to use the mulched clippings from our lawn mower that my husband would drop in a corner of the yard, but this year we’ve been mowing and dropping clippings in place to try to keep the lawn a little healthier. So far, so good!
Watch for pests starting to emerge. Aphids, squash bugs, and cucumber beetles are all getting active now. I like to get out first thing in the morning when the cucumber beetles are still slow and sleepy and knock them into a cup of water, then bring the haul over to the chickens for snackies.

What’s in season early June in the Northeast: Strawberries, blueberries, snap peas, snow peas, shell peas, pea shoots, garlic scapes, green onions, chives, arugula, lettuce, spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, beets, radishes, kohlrabi, bok choy, cabbage, rhubarb, sorrel, purslane, lamb’s quarters, fava beans, fresh herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro, oregano, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, sage), mushrooms, sprouts, watercress, currants. PHEW! It’s a produce bonanza.

How to use your goodies:

Fresh blueberry muffins. If you see early local blueberries at your market this week, buy them immediately and make Smitten Kitchen's blueberry muffins! The difference between a muffin made with local peak-season blueberries and one made with those giant watery supermarket ones is like night and day. Speaking of, I need to throw some bird netting over ours because otherwise they’ll devour them before we get any.
Stir-fried bok choy. My friend texted me that she had a surplus of bok choy from her CSA box and was wondering what to do with it. The options are numerous, but this Easy Stir-Fried Bok Choy Recipe from The Forked Spoon is a simply and unfussy classic that lets the vegetable shine!
Cacio e Pepe with Peas and Favas. As a self-proclaimed bean queen, I have to admit that I have never grown fava beans despite loving them very much! Next time I spot them at the farmers market I know what I’m making though.
Grilled Garlic Scapes. And easy-yet-impressive side dish to toss on the grill when you’re cooking. I love growing hardneck garlic because it’s a one plant, two harvests kinda deal. Cha-ching!
Watermelon mojitos. Queen Ina recommends this for a batch cocktail, so if you’re in the mood to imbibe and find yourself flush with mint in the garden, throw a little party and wow them with your homegrown garnish.

Love Island + my walking pad = match made in heaven. Listen, last summer I swore I wouldn’t watch Love Island USA again, but I’m a big dirty hypocrite and started watching this season. But on one condition: I can only watch while on my walking pad! That way, even if the show goes south and I start hate watching it, at least I’m getting my steps in. It’s also nice because with the kids home for the summer, I have been missing my daily walks, and I haven’t found a way to squeeze them in yet. I go to the gym before they wake up in the morning, but a little leisurely walk for some head-clearing has been missing! Now, instead of clearing my head I get to fill it with reality TV garbage!
Summer kick-off amusement park visit. Oh my gosh, what a freaking blast! The last time I was at an amusement park was when I went to Disneyland with a boyfriend in college who I discovered non-ironically wore a fannypack. I had to actively deconstruct my crush/feelings that entire day, because College Amy simply couldn’t handle the 2006 social suicide that I would be committing if I continued to date him. Needless to say, a visit to Canobie Lake Park with my adorable children and loving husband was a huge success! Except for Zach was mildly traumatized by our ride on the log flume, which I mistakenly thought was much milder than it actually was. But now he can engage in the time-honored tradition of developing a sense of humor born of childhood traumatic experiences!