Saturday, August 28, 2010

Garden Surprise

I suppose all is not lost. We  had written off the cucumbers as a complete failure and stopped paying attention to them over a month ago.

Well, here's what we found today:



Even a lemon cucumber! There are a few more on the vine, too.

And then we have this:



No, those aren't beans or peas. Those are the pods on the potato plants. The flowers are pretty and they seem to be growing well. Perhaps we should stop watering them?

Friday, August 27, 2010

Matter

I'm kind of getting this "stuck in a rut" feeling. Like I'm just running laps -- I keep passing the same landmarks. Over and over they pass by or maybe I pass them by. But it doesn't matter; either way it's just perception. The kids started school again. Just like last year and the years before that. Our garden is slowly losing the battle to squirrels, bugs, and birds. Just like last year and the years before that.

What did I do this morning? I got up and took a shower. Then I spent 20 minutes with the family and then went to work. Just like yesterday. And the days before that.

Yeah, I'm complaining, but I can't complain. And by "I can't complain" I mean I'm socially and possibly legally, morally, and astrologically not allowed to complain. And yet I do.

I suppose the good thing is that since I've been here before, I also know I'll be _there_ again. Yes, there. There, where I'm active and engaged, where the kids are behaving and miraculous, where the job is interesting and the vegetables grow. There, where the pieces fall into place faster than I realize they weren't in place before. Where I have revelations and big ideas in the shower in the morning before work. Where metaphors don't escape me and words snap together into perfect, shiny piles.

Where I matter.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Argh! (Or, Patience is for Squares)

Alas:

Something got to the largest pomegranate. Also, something pulled the second largest one off of the stem. So that's two down. We still have a dozen more fruit on the tree, and who knows, maybe thinning things will turn out to be positive in the long run...

But, that said. ARGH! I'd been waiting years for that pomegranate.

Also, aphids moved onto the corn (soap to the rescue, hopefully) and it looks like my liberal application of BT (which, it seems Home Depot doesn't carry) has paid off in the garden as we haven't been able to find any more caterpillars/worms in there.

Also, we're fairly sure something's gotten to the giant tomato, so we'll pick it even though it's only yellow. Sure wish we could have had that thing make it all the way to red.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Garden: Good News/Bad News

Besides the mice that got all of the cucumbers, we have had a few more pests visit the garden.

Here's where worms are doing serious damage. I pick a dozen or so off of the plants each day. We really need to go get some BT!



And here's some mildew...



But then there's the good news!

Giant Tomato



Corn zooming along



Pomegranates

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Patience

Our garden is teaching me to be patient. I doubt I'm getting much better at it, but this year especially has shown me that I need to be more patient. Many years ago (7 or 8?) I planted a little pomegranate plant in the back yard of our new house. I'd always wanted a pomegranate tree and vowed that if/when I ever did end up buying a house I'd plant one.

And it refused to grow fruit. Year after year, it mocked me with its brilliant blossoms and vigorous growth.

I nearly pulled it out last year. Nearly chopped it up and composted it. But I waited yet another year. And... Success. It took this long, but we FINALLY have some fruit growing (one of which is size of a tennis ball).

On a much shorter scale, the tomatoes and corn we planted seemed to take _forever_ to finally start to produce. We have a jungle of tomato plants and we have 4 or 5 actual tomatoes growing. And our corn went from zero ears to a whole bunch in what felt like overnight.

So yes, the garden is teaching me patience. And just in time, too, as the kids race toward their teenage years!