Skip to the end for an inspired book list! Also, I'm not on social media, because, well, I'd rather be in the garden - so please help spread the word about how we can all contribute to a healthier ecosystem by sharing this email with someone who you think would enjoy it.
And now, onto some musings and garden tips.
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When we think about plants, most of us think about blooms. Fruit, vegetables, flowers, leaves, plant functions that satisfy us. But when we think of what satisfies them, the action is in the soil.
Which brings me to the forest floor of British Columbia, where I'm currently traveling*. We're out in wild areas, accessible only by our small boat, where among many other things I'm viewing and drawing serene landscapes, hiking through old growth forests, and driving the boat while my partner fishes for salmon.
And that spongy forest floor got me thinking. As it is richly layered with fallen trees (aka nurse logs), it gives birth to a diverse landscape of salal, mosses, ferns, horsetail, sea asparagus, devils club, salmon berries, blueberries, huckleberries, western red cedars, alder, hemlock and spruce. The health of this diverse landscape has at it's backbone soil that is richly layered with biomass - organic matter of all sizes from large trees to small twigs and leaf duff. As these layer and break down at different speeds, they create a nutrient rich soil ecosystem that can hold water throughout the year, provide nitrogen, macro and micro nutrients, and host all of the critters large and small to aid in decomposition and pollination. For us city folk, there are ways to mimic this natural system, such as:
Hugelkultur, No Till, and the Ruth Stout Method. Online resources for each are abundant, so if you're looking to establish new beds, do a little online research and reach out for a discussion of how this can work in your garden!
As for other summer tasks, here are a few:
- Deadhead flowering perennials to maintain the bloom throughout the summer
- Water deeply (ideally in the early morning) 1–2 times per week. Target the root zone with a soaker hose or drip system and mulch around plantings to retain moisture.
- Fertilize cucumbers, summer squash and broccoli while continuing to harvest
- Regularly pick your raspberries and other fruit. Fallen fruit can increase fungal disease in plants, so aim to pick or pick up, all fruit. If you're growing summer-bearing varieties of raspberries such as ‘Meeker’ or ‘Willamette’, cut the fruiting canes to the ground when they're done producing, but leave the new green canes for next year. Thin out excess new canes—leaving 4–6 of the strongest per foot of row.
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Plant Forward Book List
I love to read, and I especially love it when I encounter an author who shares a love of the natural world. Here are a few favorites to add to your summer reading list:
The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert - One of my favorite books, this is a sweeping historical novel that follows the life of Alma Whittaker, a brilliant botanist in the 18th and 19th centuries, as she seeks to understand the natural world and her place within it.
Circe by Madeline Miller - A mythological retelling that follows the life of the sorceress Circe as she transforms from an outcast nymph into a powerful, self-determined woman through exile, love, and defiance of the gods. You'll note the plant hellebore throughout this book - which are also in almost every garden I have designed.
The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant - A true story that explores the clash between indigenous tradition and ecological destruction through the felling of a sacred, genetically unique tree in the forests of British Columbia. I'm reading this book as I travel by boat through the waters it describes.
Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate by Wendy Johnson - a meditative memoir/gardening manual that intertwines Zen Buddhist philosophy with decades of hands‑on organic cultivation at Green Gulch Farm.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - a lyrical blend of Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and personal reflection that celebrates the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world. The audio book is particularly nice to listen to.
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*We did fare the potential tsunami waves here up near the border of Alaska, phew.
