As our garden matures, we’re seeing more shade from the fastest-growing plants, which helps protect the smaller ones on hot days like this.

As our garden matures, we’re seeing more shade from the fastest-growing plants, which helps protect the smaller ones on hot days like this.

This natural community support is exactly what we hope to cultivate – plants helping plants thrive together.

Still, many others could use extra help while we work on upgrading the irrigation system. Some plants don’t have the luxury of time to wait.

This young tree is getting buckets of water and a thick layer of fresh grass clippings as mulch. Will it be enough? How many others need this kind of intervention?

Summer resilience is a team effort – both for plants and people. In our food forest, we’re learning that sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down and tend to what’s struggling right now.

What strategies have worked in your garden during the tough summer months?