Compost Journaling

Summer Week 5: Beans, Boysenberries and Bees

I don't journal, or at least not normal journaling. I compost. Composting is, in my mind, better- more interesting. It's a time and place to ponder, explore, reflect, think on paper, air frustrations, fears, gifts, life happenings. It's like compost- life compost. I add to the pile, stir and let decomposition happen. If I do it right black gold compost happens.

Composting- active pondering of life. By the shear act of thinking on paper, a natural breakdown happens. Bonus, I get stuff off my brain- finish brain loops. I feel better- inspired, creative, lighter, more curious, insightful. Meanwhile, a natural process happens. All of these fragments, daily thinking on paper, begin to grown into something digestible, usable.

It takes time for compost to break down into actual usable compost but it I'm patient- which I'm not- something wonderful happens

On a side note, in my actual garden beds, I thrown all kinds of compostable material in to create my "soil". Duck bed straw, leaves, finished garden plants, alfalfa hay. I don't always or usually, take the time to chop it up or even stir it together. I brake all the rules. Just add good ingredients and then plan. My garden is thriving. Apparently, a lot of plants love this kind of home. Full of compost composting as they grow. Me too, I'm that kind of plant.

My daily journaling is a lot like how I garden except on paper- wild. Give plants a home, space to grown deep roots, kindred companions, encourage worms. Talk kindly to them and then curiously and with great awe, see what happens.

This week - on the 5th week of summer - our 2 boysenberry plants are in full ripe mode. Huge berries, so many berries!!! My 2 year blueberry plants gave us about 1/2 cup. These 2 year boysenberries- thornless thank goodness- are giving us about 2 quarts a day and this week probably more. It's slightly unsettling thinking of these abundant growers will do next year. I might want to do a bit of research!

This morning, I noticed my beans are ripe to eat. I love beans out of the garden. My sister gave me bean seeds for Christmas. I don't know what kind but their booms are the most vibrant orange red. (Picture below)

So far we have identified 5 different kinds of bees in our native, regenerative, wild, creative and wonder-filled garden/yard. I let a giant wild catnip plant go into bloom- they love it! So many big bumblers!

Ok, that's all for now, I've got things to do. Enjoy week 5 of summer.

Denise