living seasonally: may

So remember how I said March was busy around here? I lied because March didn’t have anything on April, which I completely forgot to write up a “living seasonally” post about – oops! I’m getting back on the bandwagon just in time for May 1st tomorrow. Here are some rhythms that typically dictate our Mays:

Around the house/farm

• Planting the garden! We planted some of the cold weather crops in April (kale, carrots, radish, arugula and some other hardy greens), but we save most of our planting for the first two weeks of May, assuming the weather is good and the soil temp is steadily over 50 degrees.
• Soil testing. We have been trying to test several different areas of the property each year. We have used this company and this one. We typically like to do this in March, but we forgot this year. It is better late than never, especially as we work to restore the soil with new and different amendments each year based on what we learn from the results.
• We added lots of fruit trees/bushes and berries this year, mostly in the hugelkultur beds out by the orchard. We are also working on some permaculture guilds using existing fruit and hazelnut trees and some newly planted chestnut trees. Learn more about the idea of permaculture guilds here.
• My herb garden right outside the back door got a little out of control last year, so I have plans of cleaning it up. I love having it right by the house, but it does require a bit more upkeep since we all look at it all of the time. Some of the perennials have taken over the space a bit and need to be divided.
• I took over a spot under a big white pine that I plan to try a medicinal shade garden. I will report back on how that does since I am still researching.
• We are (STILL) wood chipping various stuff around the property and on our third load of wood chips. I love this season for how much physical work is required and how little I go to the gym because I’m getting so much activity in around the house, but even I am sick of hauling wood chips around the place.
• I harvest dandelions, roots and all, to dry for tea (or saute the greens for dinner). I also use this as a consequence for the kids if they get in trouble (fighting with your sibling? Go pick 50 dandelions, and I’ll only count the ones with roots!).
• By the end of the month, I’ll start picking the black (and red, but we have way more black) raspberry leaves to dry for tea (benefits here). I’m hoping to try fermenting them this year.
• We are hoping to build a bigger chicken coop, so we’ve been researching different options. We want to a bigger flock, but our current coop can’t handle any more hens. I’ll report back on what we decide.

Eating seasonally

• We are starting to get greens and radishes from the garden each morning (HOORAY!), so we have been eating huge salads most days of the week. We will definitely keep that up as May progresses and more stuff pops up.
• All of the local farmers’ markets start this month, so we love the excuse to spend our Saturday mornings at one of the markets, which also makes it VERY easy to eat seasonally since we just buy whatever looks good from our farmer friends.
• I reorganized my canning storage last month (WAY overdue), so while I thought I was doing a better job of getting through our food stash this year, once everything was organized in one place and easier to access, I realized that we have a lot to eat in the next few weeks before the garden starts popping, and it’s time to start putting stuff up again.

Celebrating the season

• Maeve’s, my mom’s, and my birthday are all this month, not to mention Mother’s Day, so it winds up feeling like a bit of a whirlwind of celebrating. Not that I’m complaining!
• One of my favorite traditions from my college days was May Day, which was a big deal on campus. I’m planning to make this cake for tomorrow, which sounds somewhat similar to a Beltane cake traditionally served for May Day.
• Growing up near Indianapolis, the month of May was all about the race. It doesn’t seem to be as all-consuming as I remember it from growing up, but we enjoy hosting some friends on race day and listening to the race on the radio since it isn’t televised here.

Ayurveda
I am fascinated by the wisdom of Ayurveda, a 5000 year-old mind-body health system with its roots in ancient India. It recommends various practices and foods based on the season of the year (you can see why I am fascinated!) and your individual constitution, so it is tailored to meet your body’s specific needs. I will share a bit of what I’m learning and incorporating about this ancient wisdom each month.

• If you haven’t already, figure out your Dosha to see what you specifically should focus on this month. I really like the Banyan Botanicals Dosha test and resources.
• We are still in Kapha season, so astringent and bitter tastes and foods (like all of those leafy greens coming up in the garden this month) are a great way to balance the lethargy that Kapha season is prone.
• It is a good time to push yourself a little physically after those more subdued winter months. Physical activity helps detoxify our bodies and moderate Kapha imbalances.
• Go pick some dandelions (if you don’t spray your yard with chemicals), which aid our bodies’ need to detoxify after the more sedentary of nature on winter. Tons more benefits of dandelions here.
• GET OUTSIDE! Nature therapy has innumerable benefits and is an important practice all year long.

Hoping you have a happy and healthy MAY!