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July Newsletter

 
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In the garden
01
     Y'all… check out this bed of basil. This row is right next to the pavilion, and on breezy days when I'm working under the shade, the wind will brush across the basil and the beautiful smell just washes over me. It is truly an experience!
     Basil is my favorite foliage for summer bouquets. It not only lends rich greens and interesting blooms, but also it's gorgeous fragrance. I am growing at least 6 varieties this year, but Cinnamon remains my favorite. I cut it by the bucketful each week and have yet to tire of it. I also grow a lot of sweet basil for cooking and have offered it by the bunch for anyone that wants to purchase some - let me know if that's you before your next pizza or pasta night!
 
 
Flowers Spread Joy
02
    Highlighted above and below are photos from two very happy days this month. First, my Mama and I lead a flower arranging class at Brookdale Senior Living. We brought in buckets of flowers, and the residents (mostly from the independent living units) were able to pick out which flowers they wanted and then they got to snipping and arranging their stems themselves. It was truly a joy to see how much fun they had!
     The next day, a few friends and a bunch of precious kiddos who are in a Nature Club together came out to the farm. The children went wild grabbing flowers and stuffing them willy-nilly into jars. We then loaded up and headed to the assisted living side of Brookdale. 
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The amazing staff there helped lead us through the hallways and the lunchroom where the kiddos hand delivered their jars. I don't know whose smiles were bigger, the kids or the residents! THANK YOU to those of you who purchased a bouquet for the Buy-One-Give-One promotion, supporting these bloom jars and delivery. 
The joy that flowers bring never ceases to amaze me—not just because of their beauty, but because someone took the time to share them.
What a beautiful thing to teach the next generation.
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Always Learning
03
Let’s talk about pests.
Sometimes I just have to ask…why? Why are there thousands of Japanese beetles?  Why do Leaf-Footed Bugs have to fly?  Why do Whiteflies seem to target every single dahlia?  This season, pests have been relentless.  But—I’m learning.  
Next year, I’ll try Neem oil or molasses spray earlier on my dahlias.  I’ll be more diligent about hand-picking beetles—or let the chickens patrol the garden.  But through it all, I’m grateful that I’ve kept this a chemical-free garden.  I avoid synthetic insecticides because they harm the very pollinators and predators I depend on.
Regenerative farming is slow work. It takes intention, observation, and trial and error to bring an ecosystem into balance.
 
So yes, I’ve got bugs.
But I’m growing.
And I’m leaving this little patch of earth more abundant than I found it.    
 
 
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God's Word in the Garden
05
   Summer is the season of bounty. It is a time when earth is bursting with the abundance of life, and it is breathtaking. Know what else is breathtaking? The weeds! July is the month when I feel a little bit like I am drowning - drowning in the harvest and drowning in the weeds. So this month I was reminded of the apostle Peter who also knew what it felt like to sink--quite literally!
     The disciples were in a boat in a storm when Jesus walked to them on the water. Peter eventually walked out on the water toward Jesus. Only when he looked at the waves and the wind, and took his eyes off of Jesus, did he become afraid and began to sink. What does this have to do with the bounty of summer? It's actually because of what happened right BEFORE the disciples got in the boat…
Matthew 14 tells us about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000. This was maybe the most epic example of ‘bounty’ in history. 5,000+ meals from 5 fish and 2 loaves. With baskets to spare. 
But immediately after, Peter found himself in a storm, looked at the wind and the waves and forgot who was right in front of him. 
Sometimes when the bountiful blooms in my garden are too many to count I find that instead of staring at the beauty, I am just staring at the weeds…at the problems…at the hard work ahead. I take my eyes off of all that bounty and focus on all the negative. 
Summer in the garden reminds me that in times of bounty in my life, I need to pay close attention to how easy it is to take my eyes off Him. Instead I must work to keep full focus on my Savior, 
the all-powerful, miracle-working, storm-calming giver of true bounty.
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Summer is coming to a close, and new routines and school schedules are speeding towards us. Although we have a lot of heat and humidity left to bear, I know we will welcome the seasonality ahead. Keep me in mind if you need any back-to-school flowers for the teachers in your life! As always, I would love to hear from you, please reach out anytime. I am so grateful for your support and thankful we can enjoy a life made more beautiful by flowers. 

With love—
Allison

 
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Garth Road
Huntsville, AL 35802, United States