I'm feeling very fortunate...everything in the garden is thriving and flowering and making fruit. A garden...wow, it can make you or break you can't it? It's not for the weak...that is for SURE.
After a rough start this season...and several do-overs...the garden is showing promise. The new planting of beans is growing like mad! The pole beans are outgrowing their poles, even!
The tendrils have floated over and grabbed hold of the chicken wire fence...which is fine with me. That's exactly why I planted them there...to utilize that good
ol' chicken wire. Don't you just love bean leaves in their delicate sets of three? Pretty...
Do you see what I see? Zucchini! Do you know how close this plant was to
death? Close. Very, very close.
But we took a chance...
transplanted it to a new sunny location...and look at it! I see at
least three zucchini...possibly even four! Now, a true confessoin...I have to stop myself from comparing my plants to others. Especially the man around the corner. His zucchini plants are HUGE. But when I stopped to compliment him on his beautiful garden (that is in his front yard...pretty much..he has a large lot and the front yard extends to the side yard a bit...but it's fully visible from the street) we talked a minute and he "swore by" Miracle
Gro. So, I stopped comparing...and continued with my organic thinking...willing away the temptation to buy MG! And then not too long after that a new friend told me that Compost Tea is the organic answer to MG...and I had hope again! (Thanks, L, if you've stopped by!)
Now, I
purchased this seedling on a whim...a purple eggplant.
And I am so glad that I did. I think it is so beautiful...and it's given me the confidence to try even
more new things next season. I don't know if this is heirloom or not...do I still have the tag? I better look for that...then maybe I can try my hand at saving some seed!
Gardening...it can make you or break you. And I will admit...it almost broke me.
Almost. But I'm learning...that everything is more resilient than we can imagine. Plants. Animals. Us. We have got a whole lot more "fill in the blank" than we think we do at times...each little bit of life is a test. And we have what it takes to pass. Because...God never gives us more than we can handle. Amen.
8 comments:
Your eggplant sure looks like a purple pepper!
I do enjoy your blog. Very nice to read about someone else fumbling their way along the path of gardening and early stages of backyard homesteading.
Lovely photos! A lot of stuff happened in May and the month came and went. I didn't get my garden planted, but I did get some herbs planted around the house. I'm trying be more self-sufficient and have already started getting ideas for next year.
Once the zucchini is formed like it is in your pic, brak the flower off gently, so that you avoid having the fruit rot when the flower starts to decay.
Apparently you can EAT the blooms, but I am not sure what you do with them. My son has been in chefs training and would know, as he mentioned it before.
Also a tip about watering squashes: THe leave of the plans do not like being wet and if you water overhead with a hose they can develope mildew. It turns the leaves a powdery white (the spores) and the leaves will eventually die.
Instead, fill a watering can and gently lift the leaves where the bae of the plant is and water there, underneath the leaves. Of course there is NOTHING you can do about rain fall, but the less you water from overhead, the better off your squashes will be.
Oh and feel free to tell em to shut up any time. *grins* Truely, I am not a know-it-all!
Holy typos Batman! SOrry!
Looks lovely. The less traveled roads are sometimes bumpy but well worth the journey.
Your eggplant is adorable! I just hauled in zucchini numbers 13-16. Everyone has had enough, including the neighbors. SOooo I hauled out the food processor and whirred up 13 cups of zucchini shreds and froze them. Have no idea if you can freeze zucchini, but it may be worth trying it for bread later. Sending you zucchini luck for a bountiful harvest!! If not - I'll send you one...or five!!
So jealous! but so happy for you! Our garden has flopped this year.....such a flop that we're not even trying to resurrect. However, we have a random sunflower in the mail-man's path. They've all taken pity and not run it down, but there it is... right in the dirt by the mailbox. Go figure. Love the zuchini's .. my son call's 'bikini's' zuchini's... ha.ha See you soon- Laura
apparently we are all learning lessons in our gardens. you are so very right.
i love watching beans. they fascinate me. my second crop (weather related death to the 1st) are just forming after the blossoms which were beautiful.
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