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From Lane & Jules at Sweet BombDiggity Farms
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Pull Up a Chair
What looks finished usually isn't
This time of year, the Black-Eyed Susans along the front of our Knoxville house don't look like much. The gold petals are gone, and what's left are dark, dry little heads on brown stems. Most people would cut them down and call the season over.
But every one of those heads is full of seed. The part that looks finished is the part that makes next summer possible.
Out at the farm, there was a stretch of field we mowed for years without realizing Black-Eyed Susans were growing there. This year we let it grow long enough to bloom, and it turned into thousands of them. Then we mowed it again, on purpose this time, to spread the seed so it comes back even fuller.
I keep thinking about how much of a flourishing life works that way. Some of the best things were there the whole time, waiting for us to stop cutting them back. And the seasons that look like an ending are often the ones getting the next thing ready.
So if you're in a season that feels a little brown around the edges, don't be so quick to cut it down. There may be more in it than you think.
Jules & Lane
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Out in the Garden
Save the seed, share the blooms
The traditional Black-Eyed Susans I grow come back from the same crown every year, so saving seed isn't required. It's how you start a new patch or share with a friend.
1. Let the seed heads dry fully brown on the plant.
2. Snip them into a paper bag.
3. Let them dry another week.
4. Rub the heads between your fingers (gloves help) and the tiny seeds fall out.
5. Store them in a paper envelope somewhere cool and dry.
Not ready to snip? Leave them standing. The goldfinches will work through those seed heads all winter.
Want some seed? I've set aside 15 packets for newsletter readers. Tell me where to send yours, and I'll mail them to the first 15 requests.
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From the Farm Kitchen
Roasted tomatillo salsa verde
Tomatillos showed up in my garden sort of by accident, and they've been a happy addition ever since. This one is as simple as it gets: roast, blend, done. It's bright, a little smoky, and ready in about 30 minutes.
Spoon it over tacos, serve it with chips, or stir a cup into our BombDiggity White Chicken Chili.
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Favorite Things
For our feathered friends
It's no secret that we're big fans of Eaton Pet & Pasture. Roost Refresh, Revitalime, hemp bedding, and aspen nesting pads keep our coops clean, cozy, and smelling fresh.
Use code BombDiggity for 20% off your order.
Eaton Pet & Pasture is a partner of ours. If you shop through our link, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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Something New
Take a peek at our new website
We gave sweetbombdiggityfarms.com a fresh start. It's cleaner and easier to find what you're looking for: garden guides, recipes with printable recipe cards, Farm Sunday devotionals, and a look at the life we're designing out here.
Take a look around and hit reply to tell us what you think.
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Tuck it in Your Pocket
"What looks finished is usually getting the next thing ready."
Jules
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Have a question you'd love us to answer, a project you're proud of, or something that inspired you? Hit reply. It might show up in a future letter.
We're building something beautiful here, together. Now that's BombDiggity!
Here's to designing a flourishing life,
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