It feels like we’re in a news lull. Even the Fed increasing rates by .25% hardly registered on any of my social media feeds. No dire predictions about a recession or the inability to control inflation (which appears to be delicately restained for the time being). Houses are selling and prices are not going crazy. So what is there to talk about?
We found a new neighborhood walk that swirls between the backyards of some very nice homes and a large stand of trees that block a view of the railroad tracks. Along the way, the path runs up against wetlands edged in wildflowers. It’s in a newer area and as of yet the cyclist, joggers, and dog walkers have not discovered its pleasant ambiance. The trail isn’t fully inked in on Google Maps yet which may also contribute to its lack of use.
Mulch is on sale as we veer toward August. Many people spread out their shredded wood chips in the spring, but I find it helpful to wait for all the plants to be fully out of the ground to smooth in a new layer of the woodsy product. Right after a good rain works well. The weeds are easier to pull when the soil is moist. And the cedar mulch puts out a nice fragrance for ten days or more.
People are wrapping up their summer plans this time of year and will soon be busying themselves with getting their kids ready for school. There is only the Autumn Joy sedum left to bloom and that comes about around the first day of school. Then we’ll all be gearing up to fall activities. Homecoming Football games and parents’ weekends. Fall breaks and Halloween. Then the holidays- Thanksgiving onto Christmas.
So wander into that back garden. Take a pillow and have a nap on the outdoor sofa under the shade of a tree. Soon the summer heat will be swept out with the first frost and people will be a flutter preparing for the winter weather.
Home Economics 