In the garden, as in life, shadows hold equal value to light. Especially hard summer light filtered by strong shadows. This is a perfect blend for me. Too much shade is a problem for a vegetable garden but no shade at all bleaches out a flower garden. (Though I use the term flower garden very loosely because as I am sure you know by now that most of my flowers are white hydrangeas. They remind me of New Zealand hill country farm houses. They help me feel at home out here on the prairies of Illinois.) But I am as attracted to shade in my garden as I am attracted to light. One feeds the other. 
When planting a garden, your plants and trees and structures will cast important shadows. So pay attention to where they land at certain times of the day and even the year. I have two big pergolas in the gardens. These are specifically for the shade that they cast upon the house. Once the grapes grow up them and the trees behind them gain momentum, they will decrease the heat that drifts into the house by as much as 10 degrees. We don’t use air conditioning. We use shade. Though this summer has been so cool so far we really have not had a problem with heat in the house.
Shadows also play with us. Our own shadows have gentle leads. Here I am leaning about doing not very much.
We had a couple of really good rain showers yesterday, the storms were dressed in thunder and hurling lightening, and drove Gracie and I inside where we cooked breads and sauces and for the first time ever Gracie followed a recipe in English and made Oatmeal Cookies. She wants to learn how to cook American food so I thought that was a good place to start. A New Zealander teaching a Korean to cook American is a bit of a tangle!
The majority of our tomatoes are still hanging huge and green on the vines. But this week we might warm up and with a bit of sun, with any luck, the tomatoes will start to ripen a little faster. So far I am only making a pot of summer sauce every other day and that is much too slow.
An offer to the fellowship: My Little Sister lives on a gorgeous farm in New Zealand and would like to invite anyone who would like to work as a volunteer on her farm this spring to get in touch. Free room and board, a little bit of work and lots of fantastic food and walks in the country. It is a wonderful way to experience a country. So if you know of anyone who is travelling and would like to try good old fashioned farm life in New Zealand let me know and I will send you her details. You can stay in my room!
I hope you all have a lovely day.
I really, really do.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
50 responses to “Shadow Play”
We would absolutely love to go back to New Zealand! Such a wonderful country with the friendliest of people! But, seems like that won’t be for a time yet, because, as you know so well, the farm does keep you rooted in so many ways. Like Kim says though, it is on ‘the bucket list’! 🙂
Oh my goodness! New Zealand? On a farm? With wonderful food? I’m in! Well, I would love to be in…NZ has been in my bucket along time too! It sounds like a dream come true! Your white hydrangeas are beautiful C. A friend put one blossom of her Annabelle hydrangea in a tall, slender, white vase and it looked like a bride! I love blue flowers in the garden too…did your electric blue sweet peas ever bloom for you? And I think shade is one of the most beautiful things in the garden….I love it when a little sun peeks through it in the afternoon for that lovely dappled light!
I hope you were singing….. Me and my shadow!
I love both the dappled and the deep shade of a garden. Always loved hydrangeas, too, but the climate does not allow them here. Yours are beautiful, Celi. Why do I live where I can’t grow many of the plants I love…..especially roses and tomatoes? Must be daft in the head. Would love to go to NZ. My grand daughter now lives there; she married a Swiss man with duel citizenship.
It is funny how plants you make feel at home. I’ve planted Lady’s Mantle for that very reason. Vegetation-wise, this part of France is very similar to Oregon, so I feel at home with the plant world. Something I do not feel in Italy. Italy feels more foreign to me. Your sister’s invitation is very tasty. Hmmmmm.
You’ll need a hammock in that pergola next summer!
How I adore the shadows this time of year; watching them grow day by day, casting the last look of summer about. Loved seeing your shadows here, and appreciated your words “A New Zealander teaching a Korean to cook American is a bit of a tangle!” – which exemplifies a truly American cuisine. 🙂
we are having fun too and it is running both ways! c
Absolutely lovely to see aspects of the farmy new to me after all this time, especially that view of your ‘flower’ garden! Love your white hydrangea: I have quite a large oak-leaf white in my back garden – flower cluster more in a conical shape . . . I love the contrast of light and shade but even in our summer weather seem to be in the sun . . . 🙂 !
The shadows are getting longer , where has the summer gone? New Zealand is on my bucket list .
those buckets! c
Oh what a lovely offer from your sister!
I have hydrangea’s on my garden wishlist, and white is my favourite garden flower colour, for the moonlight. The feel of late summer shade is tangible, cool, deep, inviting, contrasting. Like Kate, in summer I tend to cool shade, from dusky rooms and dawn light. What a wonderful opportunity offered by your sister… Farmy visits go global. Not right timing for me, a little too soon, but one day you never know.
Oatmeal cookies is a great place to start! 🙂 You are so smart about shade to cool the house, Miss C. There is so much information in your head! Had to chuckle at Miss NZ teaching Miss K to cook American. 🙂
Exquisite photos Celi .. and yes, it is so important where you plant things. Something I really appreciate now .. 🙂
My grandmother would pull down the window shades on the east in the morning, then as the sun moved would pull them on the south and open on the east then pull then down on the west and open on the south as the day progressed. There were big old oaks around the house and high (11 foot) ceilings. The house was always cool during the summer. Still doing it years later, we don’t use the air conditioning anymore. I end up getting sick when stuck in air conditioning.
What a beautiful post. I love your shady reflections!