Hopeful Happenings in Our Garden

-

My husband and I have often exchanged these words:

Me: "I am going to be optimistic about this."

Him: "I'm going to be realistic."

Me: "You sound like Mariah Popham from Summer Magic." 

 Him: "You are too hopeful. You need to be more realistic, so you don't get dissapointed."

Of course, we are usually just kidding around and, just for the record, I know we all must sometimes be realistic. However, I think it is just part of my being.  Eternal optimism must be in my DNA. Mind you, I don't wear rose colored glasses all the time and I understand that things will not always be "La Vie en Rose"around here. I am not blind to the fact that some things are not going to always go according to plan. Still, I choose hope over no hope most every time!

Gardening is one of those things--for me anyway, as my thumbs are less than green. I plant with high hopes that pests will not invade and destroy. I hope that weather conditions will provide just that balance of sunshine and rain. I add a few nutrients and a little compost and have great aspirations for success. I do this knowing that things may not go acccording to plan.


Currently, what is going on in my garden (for the most part) gives me hope that very soon we will enjoy some good things at our table. Here are a few pictures of the things happening out back:
My Spring Garden 2016\

Sugar Peas

Sugar Peas
The promise of more to come in the Sugar Pea blooms:
Sugar Pea Blooms
Tomatoes are coming out and starting to ripen on my plants. Lots of "hope" in those plants! In the meantime, I am "hopeful" that none of those spine chilling Horned Tomato Worms show up, like something out of a horror movie! It drives me crazy how they get on the plant and totally destroy it before you even know they are there. I am trying to be a little realistic by slowly checking things out on a daily basis and trying to stay a step ahead of those green monsters.
Tomatoes in  Our Garden

Tomatoes in  Our Garden

Tomatoes in  Our Garden
Here is a picture of the many tomato plants, in several varieties, I planted in this one bed. There's "hope" in those yellow blooms!
Bed of Tomato Plants in  One of  Our Garden Beds
Beets are growing next the Sugar Peas.
Beets Growing in the Garden

Many people enjoy Bell Peppers in tomato dishes, sauces and salads. We certainly do enjoy them at our table!
Bell Pepper Plants

Bell Pepper Plants in Our Garden
I have stuffed something into pretty much every square inch of the beds! I am a believer in growing herbs. They lend fragrance to the many aspects of our lives. Some herbs deter pests. Others, like these that were planted in one special corner of my tomato bed are especially good for cooking with tomatoes and other vegetables and meat dishes:
Oregano, Basil and Cilantro Growing Alongside Tomatoes
Also, a random and volunteer in the tomato patch--an ornamental gourd!
Ornamental Gourds in the Garden
One of my Oregano plants decided to take over one of the beds next to our house, some five years ago. I gave pretty much allowed it to do its thing and just trim it back, once in awhile. There are a few Day Lilly, Gladiola and Irises that continue to pop up around and through the oregano. Yes, it is a bit wild and free flowing in that bed. So what, I love it!!
Our Enormous Oregano Bed

Cilantro planted alongside Broccoli.
Cilantro in Our Garden Beds
Here and there, in ground and in pots are some Sage, Rosemary and a little Thyme.

Sage
We enjoy the way Sage gives our Thanksgiving turkey and cornbread dressing so much flavor. I will be drying these herbs for using this fall and winter!

Rosemary

Sage and a Bit of Thyme with More Basil in Pots
One of our most loved friends, Mickey Mouse. Mickey is standing guard with his hose, just in case things get too hot and dry in the garden! See you next month at Walt Disney World, Mickey!
Friend Mickey Mouse in Our Garden
I miss our precious Jimmy so very much and every time I plant something in the garden beds he and grandson Glenn built for me my heart fills to the brim with beloved memories of him. He brought so much inspiration and joy to my life and was always encouraging and helping me with whatever made my life easier and happier. Thank you, my beautiful son-in-love for being so good to me! I love you and I miss you!

Most of you know, we love our Blue Berries down here and the Blue Berry bushes are certainly hold promise for a summer of Blue Berry picking and eating!
Blue Berry Bushes in Our Garden

So far, except for some tiny green worms who are overly fond of the Broccoli plants, things are looking quite good. My heart is filled with optimism and hopefulness for some good things from the garden this year!

Sharing things here on my little space in Blog Land brings me such joy. To everyone who visits here, I appreciate your taking time out of your busy day to spend a moment out of your life with me! Thank you so very much!






















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make and Use a Stencil Using Cricut Expression

-
Image
My family and many of my friends know how much I adore French inspired creations and design. The flourish of the curly-cues and curves are so appealing. An image of the Eiffel Tower in any form sets my imagination into high gear. It will come as no surprise to people who know me well that when I feel the desire to get creative, it is often with a French flair. So, when pondering what to make for Joanne, a dear friend of mine, I designed the stenciled pillow covers shown in this post.  I constructed the pillow cover/shams myself from a twin sized white cotton sheet and embellished the opening edges with black grosgrain ribbon before sewing the side seam together. If you prefer not to sew your own, you can purchase a pair and begin from there. This image could be reduced a little in size and applied to hand towels, etc. My Cricut  Expression was used to make the stencil for the design and the cartridge used was Storybook.  The design used was a flower design which ...
Read more

Homemade Fresh Chunky Peach Ice Cream

-
Image
One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables. Farmer's markets and roadside stands boast baskets of all sorts of beautiful, tempting regional produce. Georgia is called the Peach State but the area where we live in South Carolina grows the most juicy, sweet and delicious peaches you could ever hope to eat. The month of July, particularly around Independence Day is when the best (in my opinion) are ripe and ready to be harvested and sold. Home-Churned Fresh Peach Ice Cream Our family eagerly anticipates the appearance of those beautiful peaches! South Carolina Grown Freestone Peaches There are all sorts of delicious ways to prepare and eat this luscious and delectable fruit. They are simply scrumptious when peeled and sliced like this: Peeled and Sliced Freestone Peaches You can add a splash of milk or coconut milk and a little sugar, but it really is not necessary. They are so very sweet and satisfying. Eaten fresh they are qui...
Read more

Chocolate Cream Meringue Pie Like Mama Used to Make

-
Image
I am updating this post today 3/25/2013 about the pie my mother-in-law used to make  to link up to   Jessica at  http://www.ahumblecreation.com/  for her "A New Creation" Link Party. My husband, Glenn, celebrated a birthday last week. He received a very special surprise from his sweet sister, Sharon, who brought by an absolutely gorgeous and delicious Chocolate Meringue Pie.  The story behind this pie goes back some forty or fifty years to the days when their mother was still living and Glenn was a young teenager. She passed away when only in her early fifties. She was a special lady and a wonderful cook, as was my husband's father. I was truly blessed to have known both of them to have shared many good times in their lovely home. Meals with them were always such warm and wonderful gatherings, where good food was abundant. Great meals with them were not limited to holidays and there was always some fabulous dessert at the end of a meal made by Mama...
Read more