About The Time of Planting Grains
June 6 - 19
First Pentad, June 6 - 10
Second Pentad, June 11 - 15
Third Pentad, June 16 - 20
This season culminates the first flush of summer just in time for the arrival of the solstice to follow. The world is growing strong – filling out. Sumptuous flowers of early summer arrive – sweet peas, lilacs, and roses — which we admire in the warm, twilight evenings. Our thoughts turn towards beach weekends, vacations, cookouts, and sneaking in as much life outdoors as possible. The initial flurry of spring has subsided, and the time when we dashed madly about in preparation (gardeners, in particular, will understand here) has subsided a bit. By now, the bulk of the seed is sown, if not already beginning to flower. We have space for more time and a bit more ritual. As we dive feet-first into mid-June, we feel ready for anything. Like a carpet suddenly unfurled, summer spreads before us – a pattern of light, hope, and possibilities.
The Time of Planting Grain
Podcast Episode
Hydrangeas are blooming, fireflies are flitting, and rice fields are bustling with activity in this season, "The Time for Planting Grains." Joining Alexis and Kit in a new segment is Hiroaki Sato, sharing haiku about a special kigo for this rainy mini-season.
Click here for poems & songs featured in this episode.
Words of the Season
In the Sky
Mosquitoes
Rain
Sunsets
Fireflies
In the Ground
Rice Paddies
Mud
Hydrangeas
Roses
Loquats
Strawberries
In Our Lives
Rice planting
Mold
Recommended
Reading
Second Nature by Michael Pollan will help put your gardening in perspective.
If all these roses have you botanically curious about the species, Rosa: The Story of the Rose by Peter E. Kukielski and Charles Phillips will inspire you with the history, lore, and legend of this beautiful flower.
Things That Grow by Meredith Goldstein is a charming coming-of-age YA novel that all ages will enjoy, full of gardening, historical dramas, and a literary nod to the great writers of the past.
The Boy and His Dog by Seishu Hase and Alison Watts spans all the seasons, but the final chapter, set amid the watery rice paddies of June in Japan, will stay with you long after the book is finished.