Subscribe to follow my little world of gardening, cooking, art, and simple routines that make me who I am. I write from my garden in Bavaria, Germany, USDA hardiness zone 7a. I share what I learn, what I create, and the small joys that keep me inspired.
I am still settling into my summer routine, finding a beautiful balance between the garden I love so much and simply enjoying the season. There have been lovely evenings on our balcony with family, long walks, and refreshing trip to the lake. I truly hope I get the chance to explore even more lakes in Bavaria before the summer ends and drink a little more wine while enjoying quality time with my beloved ones, especially my husband.
At the beginning of the month, we went to Sweden specifically for a Luke Combs concert. It was a wonderful, recharging weekend away from our daily tasks. I am constantly trying to remind myself to slow down sometimes. It is so important to take a step back and not just rush to tick points off a to-do list that is long and probably always will be.
Speaking of family and slowing down, we also spent some beautiful time visiting my family in Southern Europe. I brought back a few kilos of plums that my dad grows completely organically, without any chemicals. I simply had to bring them back home to make a sugar free jam. The recipe is incredibly simple. You just wash the plums, remove the pits, and place them in deep baking trays with a pinch of salt. Put the trays in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit), for about three hours. I stir them three times, just once per hour. They cook slowly so the water naturally evaporates in the middle. I sometimes add a splash of lemon juice, and for one batch, I added a bit of cinnamon. When the jam is cooked, I blend it slightly with a stick blender and then pour it into sterilized warm jars. That is it! You end up with the healthiest, most delicious plum jam.
Back home, the absolute highlight of July has been the first bigger harvests in my kitchen garden. I finally pulled the onions I was carefully growing for months. I have also started collecting beets, carrots, the first cucumbers, and handfuls of bean pods (I probably forgot something to mention). My single zucchini plant, which I decided to grow vertically this year, is giving me incredibly heavy harvests. Alongside the vegetables, I am now regularly collecting cut flowers to decorate our home. It is such a lovely feeling to grow both your own food and your own decorations.
July has been pretty dry and hot here, which means I am doing a lot of watering. To help with the heat, I am mulching heavily with grass clippings. This is my absolute favorite way to mulch because we have more than enough grass in our garden. It is easy, it helps the soil retain water, and I firmly believe it adds great nutrients back into the earth.
I have become so passionate about my garden and preserving the food that comes from it. I love exploring new recipes, and I feel very happy when I have extras to preserve or freeze. I already froze several bags of bean pods to use later when the garden stops producing.
The only thing I am slightly worried about right now is my tomatoes. They are growing so big that I had to buy extra support for them, and I still fear that the branches might break under the weight. I did cut a few leaves and branches here and there to help with airflow, but I simply cannot bring myself to cut off any of the growing fruits. We will just have to see how the tomatoes hold up!
August is going to be such an amazing month in the garden, and I look forward to it so much.
Talk soon,
Take a peek at my painting gallery if you are curious: My Art Gallery
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