Weekend Gardening

I have wanted to start my gardening posts for weeks now, but other things have been getting in the way of my blogging time. I’m having to learn quickly to rearrange my days and organize my time a little better since there are even more responsibilities to juggle and fill my daily schedule. But I don’t want to get into all that right now.

Instead I want to share a few pics of the progress of my garden I started back in mid-February.

Lessons Learned from a Novice Gardener

After years of talking about planting a small garden in my back yard, this spring I took action. I hoed up an area of the yard that was out of the way, set up a 4×4 raised garden frame, added lots of soil and crammed it full of everything needed to make a great salsa plus cucumber vines for good measure. Oh the naiveté! I knew so little in those days just starting out; and I am still learning–more and more everyday. But for anyone who is considering growing his/her own garden, I’ve put together a few tips to help in the planning. I seriously encourage you to do it. It has brought me tremendous satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

6 Tips For Planning Your Own Vegetable Garden

The Beauty of Nature

After bragging not long ago that I haven’t had any problems in the garden, I had my share of tests this past week. The brown spots I had worried over ended up being sun-scorching, so I’ve had to stop watering from top down in the mornings. In our extreme heat and dry weather, any moisture on the leaves and fruit causes sun damage during the day. Mostly my watering chores are undertaken in the late evenings now to avoid this.

Then the other morning I found this little guy munching away on a few of my tomato leaves

Patios, Pergolas & Paint, Oh My!

It’s been a hectic time around my house lately. Outdoor projects, excruciatingly high temps and various demands of work and home have meant little time in the kitchen for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve continued to eat! But much of it has been on the go; and the times I have cooked, it has been less than blog-worthy. ☺
There’s been maintenance of the vegetable garden–which I am happy to say is doing well. Aside from some brown spotting on my tomato leaves (which I have almost assuredly diagnosed as sun scorching), I have had no problems; and all the fruit looks amazingly healthy!

Vegetable Garden: Day 60

I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud for so little effort. Every morning, the first thing I do is walk outside straight to my garden and look at every plant. I inspect each bloom, oooo and awww over each new bud and try to imagine how much everything has grown since I stared at it the evening before. Then I water my two garden patches while the sun is still behind the tops of the trees. That’s pretty much all I do. Stare and water.
So far, that’s been enough. I’ve been very lucky in not having to deal with any pests or diseases. I’ve read plenty horror stories online about awful things like “blossom end rot,” “blight” or “verticillum wilt.” ((shudder)) But my plants are green and healthy and the tomatoes are bright and shiney.

Veg. Garden: Day 45 & Birthday Re-Cap

I had the most wonderful birthday weekend! Friday night wine tasting and dinner out with friends. A little time in the kitchen and work in the garden on Saturday. And then cocktails in the sun on Sunday. The best gifts of all: time at home with my husband; a call from my favorite niece; a chat with one sister; a visit from another sister; messages from my brother, SIL and nephews; birthday wishes from MANY friends–new and old; and lots of love all around. I am a happy and grateful person. ☺

Vegetable Garden: Day 34 & Giveaway Winners

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve given an update on the garden. Things are progressing nicely. Everything is continuing to grow, slowly but surely. As evident from the picture above, I actually have ONE tomato that is making great progress! I love walking out to my little garden every morning, still in my pjs with my first cup of coffee in hand. I barely have my eyes completely open, but the only thing I can think of is how my garden is doing.
We’ve had some unusually low temps in the evening for the past week, but it doesn’t seem to have harmed anything. I believe it’s getting enough sun during the day, and I make sure it has enough water each morning.

How does your garden grow?

Every spring, I look at my husband and declare my intention to plant a garden. My frustration at the poor quality of tomatoes in the grocery store always inspires me to grow my own. But life gets in the way, time flies by and suddenly it’s summer and there’s no garden.
Not this year. I got really motivated, designed a plan and have already started my seeds. I figure I’ll start off small just to get my feet wet. I want to be able to really focus my attention to this project and not get overwhelmed. I also know that once our Louisiana heat kicks in it will be a daily CHORE to water and weed and devote the necessary time to making sure all is well.