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While doing some research on events related to June (and of course related to gardening), several sites and articles spoke of June as a time of reflection and transformation. June events include Father’s Day on June 16, Juneteenth on June 19 (celebrating the end of slavery in 1865) and the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere on June 20. And then, there is the color red which comes into play. Many gardeners “see red” in June with flowers and produce.
And red is a great way to tie all these events together. Well, maybe not Father’s Day, but you can encourage your dad or father figure to eat more beets and drink some hibiscus tea for heart health. I’ll get to that in a minute.
June Celebrations
Juneteenth has a direct symbolistic thread to the color red. Red represents the blood shed by innumerable African Americans in the struggle for freedom. So, you will see a lot of red in Juneteenth festivities and events. In the garden, hibiscus and roses (both edible) are in full bloom. Both are edible flowers, though I prefer the hibiscus flavor over the rose. Most from-the-garden red things have great blood/health properties (here is that father part), such as lowering blood pressure, supporting liver health and lowering cholesterol. Another favorite red thing to harvest in June is a personal favorite of mine: beets.
Beets
Though not always red, beets are great raw or cooked. You can roast, pickle or grate. Chop and dice. Add to salads or use as a side. If you planted beets in the spring, go pull some of those babies up and roast them with some sweet potatoes and baby potatoes for Father’s Day. So yummy and good for you. If you didn’t end up with beets in the yard, they should be available at the Farmer’s Market. Beet greens can also be used in salads, added to sauces or sauteed like spinach. Waste not, want not.
Just to tie in the summer solstice for good measure, the celebration colors are lighter, including yellows, oranges and golds, but a good bonfire to celebrate summer solstice plays into those red tones. Fire is always a rebirth of sorts, just be careful when and where you have that fire going. My chiminea will be the in-town go-to, but I know plenty of people with those lovely fire pits and my country dwellers have the bonfire aspect covered.
Eat Your Reds
Other red-toned veggies and fruits to be harvested include the aforementioned beets and hibiscus. Be on the lookout for red kale, cherries, radishes, strawberries, sand plums, rhubarb and red onions. If you are lucky, you might find some early raspberries. My favorite deep red fruit in my yard is the sand cherries. I’m fudging a bit here. The berries are a deep red, but they are ready to pick when they turn black. I have two big bushes and they are loaded with fruit. About the size of a healthy blueberry, they have a large seed that needs to be disposed of before eating or baking. They freeze okay, but I like to use them in coffeecake and who doesn’t love coming across a frozen coffeecake? Yum! One thing to remember when planting these lovely bushes is that the sand cherry can get seven to 10 feet tall. I didn’t realize that when I planted them in the front of the house; in the street sight line. I have been slowly trimming them back to grow toward the house, but still, seven to ten feet tall.
Try to see and eat a little red this June to celebrate all the things. And give yourself some healthy habits by eating more naturally red foods. Eat from your garden, visit the local farmer’s market, or Sunny Creek Trading Post at City Central and try to eat seasonally. You might get burned-out on salads in May and June, but then you can eat all the peaches and pears when they are in season. There are upsides to eating seasonally. I promise. And you can always can and preserve your extra. And as always, Happy Gardening.
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