I think I finally figured out what's going on with the garden soil this year. The drainage has been off since we added those raised beds last spring and I kept wondering why the tomatoes were struggling. My neighbor suggested mixing in some perlite and coarse sand before the next planting cycle. I also need to check the pH because the hydrangeas are coming out more pink than blue which usually means it's too alkaline. I found a good local nursery that carries compost tea and organic amendments so I'm going to try that route instead of the synthetic fertilizers. The weather has been weird too — hot and dry for two weeks then suddenly cold and rainy for a week straight. The peppers seem to like it but the basil is not happy at all. I might need to move some things around in the fall and replant in better spots. Mulching helped a lot with the moisture fluctuation but I think I applied it too late. Next year I'll do it right after the last frost. Anyway I just wanted to share what worked for me in case you're dealing with similar problems in your setup.

I finally tried making sourdough from scratch after reading about it for months and it turned out way better than I expected. My starter took about ten days to get really active and I almost gave up on day five when nothing was happening. I used a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour and fed it once a day at room temperature. The first loaf was a little flat but the crust was amazing and the interior had those nice irregular holes that everyone talks about. I shared it with my neighbors and they asked for the recipe so I typed it up with some notes about hydration levels and timing. The second loaf came out even better because I let it cold ferment in the fridge for about eighteen hours which gave it that tangy flavor. I also tried adding some roasted garlic and rosemary on top before baking and that was incredible. If you've been thinking about trying it I'd say just go for it even if it feels intimidating at first. The process is actually pretty forgiving once you get a feel for the dough and there are tons of videos online that walk you through every step. Let me know if you want me to share the method I ended up using.