Garden 2014

I must say; we are rocking the garden this year!  While I'm not as much of an outdoor girl as I wish I was, I am thoroughly enjoying gardening.  It is so nice to know what went into the food that fuels my body and where it came from.  It's beautiful in our backyard, and a good project for the kids.

This year we have...
tomatoes.  cucumbers.  all different kinds of peppers.  spaghetti squash.  zucchini. carrots.  onions.  green beans.  cilantro.  basil.  parsley.  watermelon.  raspberries.  strawberries.  rhubarb.  sweet corn.

We have done really well maintaining it.  We decided, and have taught the kids, when we start something we see it through.  We are going to keep this garden looking nice, cleaned up, and as healthy as possible to produce the best harvest we can.  It's such a treat to go out everyday and see what's ready!

My only problem with a garden is that I want five cucumbers, not FIFTY.  And three meals of green beans, not THIRTY.  When it produces, it produces.  Someday I hope to get more into canning, but I'm easing into things so I don't get burned out right out of the chute.  So, what do we do with it all?  Give lots away.  And, get creative.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, and cilantro from the garden.  Added some olive oil and lime juice.  Yum!

We think this watermelon is seriously the cutest.  Yes, a cute watermelon.

Another part of the garden I love is the life lessons.  Yes, I am getting old.

Planting the garden was fun.  Harvesting it is even better!  But the in-between?  That's hard and takes time and work.  But, if we don't water it and feed it, much like us, we will not grow.  And, we can have the perfect seeds and ideal weather conditions, but if we let weeds overtake the garden, it will choke out even the good stuff.  We must weed.  Consistently.  Such is with us.

Might be corny ideas, but I love how God is everywhere.  In our everyday life, and in His creation, we can work on pruning ourselves and seeing Him more clearly for who He is.  Even in a vegetable garden.