The end of August usually signals that my garden is on the verge of explosion. Weeds, veggies, annuals, grasses–everything–look as though they’re about to conquer my whole yard. This, of course, is my fault because I spend all year amending the soil organically to achieve the most nutrients possible.
Come August we return from vacation with a packed schedule, my husband disappears to coach and teach , and Mother Nature’s forces result in a garden that’s teetering on the brink of disaster….and I’m OK with that. I think this signals that I’ve had my fair share of summer. See in April and May I’m clawing at the door (like my dogs) to get outside and finally get some fresh air. In June I’m preciously tending to everything and enjoying watching my garden spring to life. In July I do most of my work in the early morning to avoid the skeeters and stifling heat. I enjoy that quiet, pensive, restorative time.
Then August strikes and suddenly I can’t make enough time for my garden. It still looks fabulous, don’t get me wrong. It’s just not as well-manicured as it is in the earlier months. This year, I have a new appreciation for August. I am grateful for the bounty of my veggie garden and anticipating the fall harvest. I have great memories of the season and am enjoying the results of my hard work in spring. August isn’t about giving up on the weeds. It’s about succumbing to Mother Nature’s overwhelming, awesome powers and remembering that I don’t own my little patch, I just tend it.
