June 2025

Hi beautiful people of the universe!

Still alive and moving forward. These past days have not been easy, but we carry on nonetheless—dreaming, manifesting, and praying harder. When the world feels like it has turned its back on you, try your best not to turn your back on yourself.

Healing from the inside out began for me with changing my diet and becoming more mindful of where I source my food. In the beginning, I would scour the stores for anything fresh and organic, believing I’d be at my healthiest if I ate more vegetables and fruits marketed as such. Over time, I realized—many lifetimes over—that growing my own produce and living off a garden free from pesticides was the best solution for me, for my skin, and for those around me who shared this interest.

As I continue to harvest and store produce for future use, I reflect on why it was so important for older generations to care for the land they lived on—benefiting not just from the harvest, but from the overall lifestyle. Now I can say to my inner child, "Your grandmother was right—you do have a green thumb." My hope is that everyone finds a way to connect more deeply with the land. When Mother Earth speaks to us, may we be ready to greet her—and each other—where we are.

June was the month I finally planted the native sweetgrass in the soil. I look forward to experiencing its benefits after finishing the book last month. It's a plant I truly believe could heal the world with just one sniff—haha.

Harvesting greens never gets old. I always seem to have some on hand to pick. Collards and kale are still out in the field, along with mustard and turnip greens. I’ve noticed that as the season grows hotter and more humid, the echinacea blooms more rapidly. I managed to save the creeping clematis after relocating it in early spring—it was doing well, but it looks like I’ll have to wait another year to see it again… I accidentally cut it back with the lawn mower. Oops.

To my surprise, I was finally able to gather nearly a handful of ripened blueberries—powder blue and oh so good! I also took some time to deadhead a few of the sweet william plants around the garden to collect seeds for storage. The grapes are growing along and increasing in size on the vines.

I’ve started planting seeds directly into flats, which I find more efficient than using individual plugs—depending on the plant and spacing. Eventually, the plants need up-potting anyway, so for a decently sized plot, starting in flats can actually boost your success rate by giving you more viable starts.

This time of year, the poppy flowers begin to bloom. Since I planted them in honor of my grandfather—"Poppie"—it feels as though I get to see him again every time I look at this beautiful plant. The first ripened peach—and almost the last, thanks to the birds being faster than me—was eaten, and oh, it tasted so good.

Star jasmine remains one of my absolute favorites. To see its flowers brings me so much joy. After living in LA and seeing that plant everywhere, I knew I had to include it in my own garden for its growth habit and intoxicating scent.

The black-eyed Susans surprised me! I didn’t even realize I had planted them where they bloomed, but there they were—in bright yellow, full of life.

I ended the month by baking a vanilla pound cake, and it never ceases to amaze me how satisfying it is to flip the pan and see the cake come out perfectly clean. A very big win in my book every time I can do that without a single mishap.

Letters from the Farm Field Journal