July 2026 Summer weeks that got away
As chaos gardeners, year after year, no matter our intentions and preparations, we inevitably fall behind, sprint to catch up, pivot, and eventually surrender to the disorder. I have illustrated and color-coded maps of our gardens—for both food and fun—and boy, they are they lovely suggestions.
This year’s big twist is our completely volunteer sunflower forest. I hadn’t anticipated that three of our eight-by-three-foot raised garden beds would be carpeted with sunflower saplings this spring, nor that some of these sunflowers would eventually reach twelve feet tall with trunks like small trees.
Our pivot came when we decided to let the volunteer tomatoes that had popped up in the same beds as the sunflowers remain and thrive. I then added pole beans, flowers, and herbs to fill in gaps, attract pollinators, and optimize growing space. If beans can climb corn in a traditional three sisters planting, why not sunflower stalks? Why not see if the tomatoes can use the stalks as trellises as well?
Whether or not this experiment yields an abundance of food, I already consider it a success. We do what we can, when we can, with what we have. We’ve created a really cool vibe for our human visitors, attracted countless pollinators, and are providing food for delightfully vocal goldfinches. We’re learning all the time and loving our time playing in the dirt.
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