The satisfactions of summer are rich and plentiful. The beds of annuals and perennials begin to flower in earnest, exchanging a tentative start for lush displays. After a slow beginning with a few greens, the garden yields snow peas; tomatoes and peppers and eggplants get their roots down and rally to the business of flowering and setting fruit. The corn suddenly rises past the “knee-high by the fourth of July” mark and its first tassels bring to mind the taste and succulence of the ears to come. Asparagus moves from edible stalks to feathery fronds graceful and still green for a while longer; raspberries begin to bloom, then bear their jewel tone fruit; the blueberries, safe under their net, deepen their color and taste; the pumpkins form their still-pale bulbs; the squash exudes its sun-glory flowers. Some of the satisfaction comes from the sheer anticipation of forthcoming bounty. Generously, the resident catbird serenades us while we tend the garden; the songs seem to be for the sheer joy of it all, though I suspect access to some raspberries comes into it.
Rain a day or so ago brought another type of satisfaction; the knowledge that the rain will soak and nourish the needy plants is comforting. This rain will not pull us out of our deep and prolonged drought, but it is a reminder that every drop helps.
The satisfactions of summer range from fireflies evoking childhood memories of long-ago summer nights, to sweaty exertions in aid of future bounty, to the longer lingering of light in the western sky.
Not all of summer is sweet, though. We’ve had days so hot it is hard to think. The heat and dry forests have intensified fires in Minnesota and Canada, once again driving us indoors or behind masks for outdoor tasks. These are daily reminders of the payoff from protecting a fossil fuel-based economy long after the dangers were known and covered up. The long term campaign by the likes of Exxon and the Koch brothers has paid off for the corporate billionaires, leaving the rest of us in danger. Currently, the tech corps billionaires are waging similar efforts to support their fortunes at the expense of everyone else.
Summer also holds some disaffections: poison ivy loves these hot days and was everywhere on our recent family hikes. Just today my husband was badly stung by an irritable ground wasp. The shock and pain of that attack seemed akin to the near daily insults and assaults by the government on our democracy. These range from the absurd to the deadly.
We’re back in a shooting war with Iran, leaving more American service members dead and wounded, not to mention Iranian lives lost and endangered, including from illegal attacks on life-supporting water systems. Gas prices rise again, dragging all sorts of other prices along. Republicans in Congress are focused on pouring more funds into the military, bloating the deficit while calling for deeper cuts to important social programs. Pete Hegseth’s approach to military readiness is testosterone tests.
More people have been killed by ICE, mistaken identity and gross misbehavior by ICE gunmen on display. The silly embarrassment of trying to cover up the reflecting pool debacle reveals a small, small corner of the graft and corruption driving this administration, which has benefited the president’s businesses and family. Like his obsession with algae, the president insists that our election system is fraudulent, but presents documents that contradict his assertions. He nags and pushes for legislation to complicate voting and disempower voters. Protestors are called “communists” and threatened with harsh punishment. He pushes to quash the independent press and looks for more ways to line his pockets. Meanwhile people are sickened by food-borne illness that used to be tracked and prevented by government agencies, now gutted; and children are endangered by anti-vaccination disinformation and drastic reductions in scientific research on disease prevention and treatment.
Summer isn’t over; predictions are premature. Meanwhile, we have a lot of weeding to do, a lot of tending and caretaking of our precious neighbors and friends ahead. We’ll stake up our voting rights, strengthen our protective fences, resow the less successful crops, plan seeding for fall crops, add more mulch, carefully water the most needy plants and do some rain dances as needed, all while we support the most vulnerable people among us. Summer’s satisfactions also highlight the truth that a gardener’s work is never done — nor is a citizen’s or a neighbor’s.
Judy Wagner lives in Northfield.