Several months ago, in the middle of a long grueling New England winter, I thought warm weather and sunshine would never arrive. Day after day of bone-chilling coldness rushing through and around me, my dogs, my dormant garden and my small town, and now finally, warm weather has arrived. Now, sun rays and pleasant rainfall surround me and I could not be happier. Warm weather brings so much joy into my life, and it also brings so much to do. This year, and every year, the garden wakes up like a hungry high-maintenance diva wanting all of my attention. I am happy to oblige.
I love spending time in my garden. My only company is dirt, flowers, weeds, and the honeybees, and all the sudden my life becomes simple and perfect. Nowhere to go. Everything is here. Life becomes refreshing and easy, like a sliding into a cool lake or sitting down to afternoon tea with an old friend.
This year, the Chamomile flowers have become the biggest divas. Without much of a fuss, they have managed to rule over the garden. They have grown and grown and seeded and seeded and now they they reign supreme. This week, I finally decided to take action. I decided to harvest as much as I could, but also leave them a good sized square to live on. So I went outside for an afternoon of picking chamomile and filled up my basket. Here is what I got!
Now to sit back, pour a glass of tea, and prepare myself for a garden-filled summer season.
