Summer solstice planting

It's Summer Solstice here today, the longest day and a beautiful summer's one, the kind which make you feel like summer could last forever. Perhaps here, it is a day which reminds me that summer hasn't finished already, or forgotten to start. Three days ago we had the fire on.

Last year we went to the beach to watch the sun. This year asthma boy is in bed early and we are not feeling so festive. Our friend in Auckland who was undergoing a bone marrow transplant died. I am struggling to come to grips with how much loss there is in the world. I feel blessed and lucky that I have Favourite Handyman and Fionn and Brighid. I guess we are lucky to have friends and the more friends and family we have, the more exposed to loss we are. That does make me feel more zen. But still sad for our friend's little daughter, four years old. Her Dad won't see her start school, or play soccer or do ballet or grumble over her first boyfriend.

Yes I am turning into my mother!! When I was at university, Mum would write letters to me which included details of who had had what operations and who had died at church. Not in the middle of Mass, you understand. Just in between. Now I blog the tips of my grief. And torture a wider audience.

Onto planting. Favourite Handyman and I filled up the new raised bed and I have planted 12 Rua potatoes in it. Around the edge and in the middle I also sowed calendula seeds. This garden is part of yellow garden area which I started planning almost a year ago. There are wild orange nasturtiums there already so my dwarf mixed colours (orange, yellow, lemon are what I've seen so far in other plantings) will fit in nicely.