Summer is my favorite time of year! Where we live, winters can be incredibly long and oh-so-cold. Every single day of those endless winters, I dream about feeling the hot summer sun and humidity on my skin. You can ask my family—seriously, I say, “I can’t wait for summer!” every! single! day! In the summer, I feel so much more alive and energetic, yet somehow, I also have a more easy-going attitude.
One of the things I love most about summertime is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables: peaches, corn, green beans, zucchini, plums, cherries, and—oh—the tomatoes. I adore eating tomatoes still warm from the sun with a sprinkle of salt.
Every year, I grow a few plants on my back patio. To be honest, even if I had room for a large garden, I’m not sure I’d be the kind of girl who would put in the effort or money to plant anything extravagant. My goal in life is to keep things simple! So, I focus on growing plants I know we’ll use and that might save me a bit at the grocery store.
This summer, I’m growing spinach and kale, both started from seeds. We’ll likely need to wait until July to harvest them, but in the meantime, I can’t even express the excitement I feel watching them spring up from the dirt and grow almost magically before my eyes.
I’m also growing lots of herbs that I love to cook with: mint, rosemary, thyme, dill, basil, and oregano. My favorite thing to do is grab a little of each, chop them finely, and toss them into my lunch salad. It takes an ordinary lunch salad to a whole new level of deliciousness!
Finally, I have two varieties of tomato plants—just one of each, so cross your fingers that we get to harvest some of my favorite summer treats later this season. I’ve also planted one jalapeño plant, perfect for adding a kick to Mike’s margaritas (I’ll share his amazing recipe sometime!).
Oh, and I can’t forget the strawberry plant we picked up on Mother’s Day at Zuzu’s special request. From what I understand, this perennial plant may take a couple of years before it produces berries we can eat, but I’m committed to seeing it through.
While I love eating the fresh harvest, my true joy comes from the ritual of watering and tending to these five or so carefully selected plants in the early morning hours—usually barefoot, still in my PJs or workout clothes. It’s a small pleasure that I cherish in the treasured, brief months of summer.
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