Category Archives: gardening
edible produce, that is. a learning process.
garden crasher
tending my veggie garden has been a *bit* more challenging this year, and not just because of the insane heat and drastic lack of rain. i have a new kind of garden pest on my hands – this one much cuter than the aphid variety.
our newest member of the family is evidently not just a pug-beagle mix….i think he has some capuchin in there as well. that fence has kept cooper out for four years – but not lewis, our tenacious one. (although we’ve already established that coop is not the most athletic dog.)
the irresistible temptation is the frogs, who’ve been making themselves at home in the only cool/damp area in the yard. lewis is a determined hunter, and quite the skilled climber, as you can see. thankfully he’s not really digging holes (which he is good at) or eating produce (which there’s been little of); but he is trampling my poor weather-weary plants every time he goes bounding after his prey. we’ve yet to find an effective deterrent to the breaking-and-entering habit.
i’m intent on nurturing my little veggie-patch as best i can, despite parched soil, unruly growth, and a mischievous pup. any suggestions?
how does you garden grow?
messy. that’s how mine grows. i relish organization in most areas of my life, and have to admit i swoon when i see neat lines of green budding, but mine never seems to turn out that way.
no matter how much thought and effort i put in to planning the placement of each type of plant before i sow, the oklahoma wind and thunderstorms inevitably whip the seeds into a garden soup before they can get roots established.
so in the end, the cucumbers are mingling with the strawberries, the squash are getting friendly with the tomatoes, and chard is sprouting up all over the place.
which means that i have to tiptoe through my veggie patch because there’s no space to walk between the green. what can i say? my garden grows oganically, both in it’s lack of chemicals and it’s natural propagation.
by the way, if you garden, and you’re on pinterest (or would like to be), let me know so i can invite you to contribute to my “how does your garden grow?” board. i love to hear great gardening ideas, and i need all the tips i can get. 
it’s all an illusion
i feel like i should start a series on lazy gardening. my friend laura writes posts on lazy beauty that i enjoy for her no-fuss approach to feeling beautiful “without throwing your back out.” after this season of minimal-effort gardening and extended absenteeism, i think that is the only approach i’m qualified to give advice on.
tip number one (for those who need a confidence boost): if you want to feel like your garden is productive, despite being unable—or unmotivated—to tend to it daily…grow vines! they will cover your garden in a lush green façade that will create the illusion of a wildly successful garden.
for the past six months, i have been away from home 67% of the time (yes, i calculated). early in the season i decided to let my strawberries run rampant, and threw (literally tossed nonchalantly) a half package of leftover cucumber seeds out on the open patch of dirt.
now, with a lack of the customary pruning to thin and tame the unruly fruit vines, the cukes and berries are competing for rule of the garden. this has the effect of completely covering the plot with enough green to hide any glimpse of dirt. appearance of success achieved!
warning: this method is only advised if you do not plan to plant other vegetables or herbs in the vicinity. the vines will choke out the surrounding plants if allowed to grow freely. (the herbs in the photo are in a raised bed separated by stones – and still not completely safe.)
actually, both vines have borne plenty of fruit as well as looking lush. just look at the pretty cukes i’ve found waiting for me each time i return home!
- heirloom cucumbers
- lemon cucumbers
- pickling cucumbers
smiles in a little red package
the strawberries have overtaken my garden, and i’m okay with that this season. the bushels of bright red berries cheer up my sad, half-planted, weed-challenged plot. it’s so nice to come home to a smiling garden.
closet beauty queens
being away from my garden gives my poor plants plenty of disadvantages as they courageously strive to thrive despite my neglect. this typically means we both have to work harder for a productive season. but sometimes God provides a beautiful surprise that would not have been enjoyed had the doting gardener been present to prune and harvest.
this morning when i checked on my patch of produce after another extended absence, i was greeted with these delightful buds on my herbs, which would normally never have the chance to bloom. although the plants’ flavor is compromised now that they’ve gone to seed, there’s something to be said for hidden potential, huh?
flowers from sage, chives, and thyme
these delicate blooms may be a little less functional in my kitchen than the herbs that sprouted them, but i agree that God may value beauty over utility at times. and i’m positive He knows those days when we need that extra burst of beauty.
“the Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit…” genesis 2:9
