The July 2024 Guide

We are in the middle of summer, and I don’t know how to act. I feel so full of various emotions. Let’s list out the main three:

1. Uncertainty. We’ve had beautiful rains all spring and summer, resulting in green grass and much growth throughout the garden. If you’re wondering how this could be bad, it isn’t; it’s beautiful. I feel joy, but with previous years of drought, I hardly know how to act. Instead of standing around for hours each evening watering plants, I have more time on my hands, which I’ve really enjoyed!
2. Frustration. The Japanese beetles have taken a frustrating toll on the garden and sometimes more so on my mind. They decimated a few fruit trees, including the unripe apples, along with many other plants. Next year, I’ll need to rethink my approach to these pests and create a new plan. Not only are the yard and garden large and challenging to figure out, but the beetles also feast on the surrounding farm fields, so diminishing the population in my yard will not help the problem.
3. Appreciation. Instead of wishing fall would arrive with cooler temperatures, I’ve enjoyed this season more than in prior years. Watering has been less of an issue, and I’ve been able to continue working on new projects, which is always the best part about the spring and summer seasons. I usually stop any and all outdoor work during the summer heat and dryness, but the weather has been excellent, so I’ve kept the projects rolling.

This proves the point I so often talk about: every year is different, and we must adjust as each one rolls around. There are ups, downs, and everything in between. But what fun would we have if everything was perfect?

Thankfully, we have this time to chat about all the good things (and maybe not-so-good things), including two things that happened that I haven’t had a chance to share about yet! I’m drinking a shaken espresso and hope you have something good, too!

Let’s talk about food.

In the last two weeks, I’ve started harvesting eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, and my first tomatoes! I still have two heads of cauliflower to harvest, but thankfully, they’ve been timed so that I’m eating them as they are ready without too much overload. The eggplant will soon become my favorite baba ganoush recipe, as well as eggplant parmesan.

Both are perfect recipes to enjoy, but sometimes, I want a recipe that allows eggplant to be made in a super simple way. I love to slice eggplant into 1-inch thick pieces and soak them in tamari, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper for a few minutes on each side. Then, I grill them on high heat until charred on each side. The inside is creamy with a crisp crust. I love this as a topping on salads or a simple side!

The hot peppers will be pickled and also made into hot pepper mustard. I use the peppers in our homemade salsa, but I still need more red tomatoes to make a batch. The tomatoes are just beginning, so I have yet to make a perfect BLT, but soon!

In case you missed any of the recipes from this month, here’s everything new:

• ​The best banana pudding recipe (seriously, the BEST!)
• ​Pineapple tequila sangria​
• ​Strawberry jam (using the pectin method)
• ​Strawberry gin spritz cocktail (using jam)
• ​Refrigerator dill pickles (quickles!)

Let’s talk about the garden.

Two significant new updates came to the garden this month:

First, Mom’s driveway entrance. Twelve years ago, Mom and I found antique architectural salvaged finials in a shop. I envisioned how they could be used, but things take time. I knew they’d make a great statement as an entry to her driveway but would need professional help to ensure they were stable and looked like they had always been there.

I used my local landscaper (Egli Landscapes) to bring my vision to life. They constructed a limestone cornerstone using two stacked pieces to help minimize the cost. One single-cut cornerstone was shockingly higher-priced than what we ended up doing. Then, they built two small walls off each side of the corner to make it feel like an entry. This was precisely what had formulated in my mind over the years. Once finished, the finials were set on top of each corner. It came out exactly as I hoped, and best of all, Mom loves it. I’ll plant some things around it, but most likely not until next year.

Second, drip lines. I finally invested in some water lines in various areas around my property so drip lines could be installed. The water lines are shallow, so in the fall, the system will be drained and winterized until the spring. In years past, I’ve spent anywhere from two to three hours a day watering by hand, and that is usually when you’d find me doing Stories. While it worked, it also took me away from other work I needed to do for the Wyse Guide business.

Many of my containers and flowerbeds are now watered on a schedule. I only need to check to ensure it’s all working and watering as needed. This has taken so much off my mind and really feels like a blessing!

Let’s talk about Kip.

Kip turned six on July 26 and has been through a lot in these short years. In May 2021, Kip became paralyzed from the waist down due to a rare auto-immune disease that resulted in meningomyelitis. For eight months, he fought and fought through various medications, chemo (used as an immune suppressor), laser therapy, and acupuncture. In October 2021, we noticed a fly landed on this back foot, and the foot twitched. This was a big deal because it meant he maybe had a bit of feeling. By December, he was trying to walk, and everything kept improving from there.

He’s had so many ups and downs during this time, with some tense moments (pancreatitis and IBD). Medications had to be changed, and he still gets chemotherapy monthly. But he’s had the most will and determination I’ve seen and has always kept his incredible spirit. To see him turn six a few days ago made me emotional. He’s such a perfect boy.

With that, we’ve come to the end of another month, and when we talk again next month, I’ll be gearing up for fall and working on my annual holiday magazine! Maybe I’ll share some behind-the-scenes of the process in the newsletter. I hope you take care until then!