The August Garden
Compost is slow magic, and it cannot be rushed. The best advice I got was just to slow down.
Lessons
Leave some corners messy; the insects will thank you. Some of this will be obvious; some of it took me years. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer.
I would rather do one thing carefully than five things in a hurry. Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. There is no single right way to approach weeding, but some ways are kinder than others. The slugs got most of the lettuce, but the beans did well.
The particulars matter less than the habit of paying attention. Below are a few observations, roughly in the order I worked out them. Nothing here requires a rain barrel, though it does make things easier.
What I kept
Saving seed means next year’s garden starts this autumn. There is no single right way to approach pruning roses, but some ways are kinder than others. I wrote most of this on a calm Saturday morning. Most problems with cover crops turn out to be problems with time.
Most problems with compost turn out to be problems with time. Between pruning roses and sowing seeds, the second one taught me more. A secateurs helps, but it is not the point. A garden fork helps, but it is not the point. A cold frame extends the season by weeks at either end.
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