My Garden

My garden has things I did not plant.  Things I try to keep out of the garden. 

It is full of sunflowers, mint, and children.

Today I am planting hope. 

We dream of ripe tomatoes, cucumbers from the vine, and potatoes deep beneath the soil.

We search for the perfect plants at greenhouses near and far.  We choose them by how healthy they look.   

But the ground is not good. 

So the plants wither. 

We add compost, manure, leaves.  We till and hoe until we think there is not one weed left. 

But we always miss one.  And from one come many.

And the plants die. 

We water, water, water, but it is never enough.  We pray for rain.

Then the rain comes and the potatoes rot. 

The cucumbers yellow. 

The tomatoes die. 

Let’s plant something else say the children.

So we plant flowers.  It is too late in the season to expect that any vegetable will grow before it gets too hot.

Then we water, water, water, but it is never enough. 

Then it becomes a water fight. 

Then it becomes a slip and slide.

Then we are muddy. 

Then we all have sunburn. 

And the flowers die.
 

But the sunflowers, mint, and children grow.

H-O-T!

"It rises at one end of the heavens and make it circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat."  Psalm 19:6

How hot is it? 

It is so hot that everyone is heading to the pool, including this June bug and his Styrofoam floaty I found today.

It is so hot that I barely can remember being up to my thighs in snow only five months ago. 

It is so hot that I don't want to do anything that involves being outside for more than a couple of minutes.  Unfortunately the horses needed water, so I had to tend to them.  Hey, Scooter, why the long face? 

Get it?  It's our long-standing joke.  Today's answer is "Because I need water, Dummy, and I won't fit in the pool!" 

So since I had to go outside for more than a minute, I thought I'd take you on a tour of what is left of my yard. 

I have three developing tomatoes and this one just might make it. 

The sunflower seeds are nice and dry and ready for snacking on by the hub...  or birds...  first come, first served. 

The basil is going to seed.  It still smells good.  I plant it every year with the intention of eating it, but I really only smell it.  I like the smell.  Makes my mouth water.  But I never eat it.  It might ruin it for me.  I like how fancy the seeds are though.  I'll bet I have more than one plant next year!  More smelliness!

The black-eyed susans don't appear to care if it is 105.  I think I only had about six plants last year and this year, I have a gazillion.  Looks like the crispy ones are all ready to make me a flower plot for next year too.  I love perennials!  Oh, and look at the little butterfly too.  I must be more dainty than a butterfly. 

Another not-so-dainty butterfly out catching some rays.  And guess what happens to spent coneflowers??

Yep!  More seeds.  Had one plant last year, eight this year, so next year??  There looks to be several hundred chances right up there alone!  Did I mention that I love heat-loving perennials?  

The milkweed is beginning to bloom too.  Won't be long before we're raising caterpillars again! 

And last but not least, the sunflowers are still seeing some pollination action on new blooms.  And to think I didn't even plant any sunflower seeds this year! 

The seeds I did plant - cucumbers, broccoli, turnips, radishes, etc. - didn't hold a candle to the seeds I didn't plant!  Maybe next year I'll have a no-plant garden and just see what shows up! 

Hope you're staying cool today and that all your days are sunny.  Personally, I think we're due for a few clouds and some rain!  And maybe a second dose of deodorant! 

Doomed, Part 2

*A short post today, as I believe my house was hit on the inside by a tornado sometime this week. Oh, and I must dust. The dust bunnies are beginning to take actual bunny shape. I’m afraid by next week they’ll be opening their eyes!



Anyway…


Remember My Doomed Project?


Well, maybe it wasn’t so doomed after all. I planted tomato seeds in the 14 jars I had, and all but one jar have tomato seedlings reaching for the sky.

I think I have about 25 tomato plants in all.


Absolutely resilient, that’s what nature is.

And stubborn too.


And I finally bought a bag of decent potting soil, so I think I’ll add some today. They will probably all breathe a sigh of relief.


I guess when all hope is lost, reach for the Son.

And for some reason, this song keeps running through my head while thinking about the tomatoes. It’s one of those songs I belt out in the car whenever Mix 96 plays it. Plus, the video offers lots of views of nature, and some early 90s fashion ideas. Geesh, I remember those vests!!! Feel free to sing along, and HOLD ON!  Maybe your situation is not so doomed after all! 

My Doomed Project

“He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.’” Matthew 13:37

Here’s what I’m doing today:

Now I don’t save glass jars from jelly or cheese dip, but apparently my neighbors do. And, since I’ve given them a couple of jars of homemade jelly, when they return my jelly jars, they give me any stash of glass jars they've accumulated.


“Just throw them away if you can’t use them,” she said.


Well now I feel bad about throwing away a gift, even if it might be considered trash in my house. Plus some of the jars had cute little handles.

So I broke out what was left of the worst bag of potting soil ever, and filled them up. I’m currently waiting for water to penetrate the soil to make some kind of a squishy concoction that would lend itself to accepting seeds. Every now and then I stir my little pots with a stick just to hurry along the process. I don’t think it is helping.

Premium ingredients... like sticks and rocks!  Ha!

Anyway, on my counter in front of my sink, I found these seed packets.

I do this every year. I buy seeds, stash them away, and forget to plant them. I think it is mental illness.  Or an underlying hoarding habit. 

So, guess who’s getting planted as part of my doomed project today? I will be planting last year’s seeds in the worst potting soil ever in jars destined for the trash.


I’ll let you know in a few weeks how it all pans out.