Elderberry blossoms are fleeting, but their delicate fragrance can be preserved long after the flowers fade. Follow the process from garden to bottle and discover a floral spritz that tastes like summer.

A thriving garden belongs to more than the gardener, and provides food and shelter to spiders, caterpillars, wasps and countless other small creatures. I reflect on the beauty of sharing the garden and learning to see its insects as neighbors rather than intruders.

June’s garden delights continue. This week has kicked off one of the most anticipated spectacles of the year: the arrival of peony blossoms.

By early summer, the garden is bursting with flowers, vegetables, weeds and a growing list of chores. In this piece, I embrace the busy rhythm of the season and turn unwanted weeds into a simple DIY plant feed.