After neglecting my garden last year, I worked to get some kale going this spring, which is now producing enough to share. Yesterday I planted a tomato, a bunch of basil, and five hot peppers (my spouse likes to make homemade fermented hot sauce). And my strawberries are ripening! It feels good to be eating from the garden again.
A salad bowl of stories! What a lovely thought. Also, the leaves of that tree being for the healing of the nations has always given me hope and a encouragement to trust in God's provision. Thanks for the reminder. I look forward to listening to the Messiaen...I agree with you that Ascension Day is woefully neglected. It's really the thing that lets Easter make any sense. Thanks for this newsletter!
I love the idea of a community garden. Curious as to how it actually works. Do you work and harvest only your space? Can anyone come and harvest from your crop and you theirs? Or does everyone simple grow one crop and then share with all the others? How do you manage a potential neighboring gardener that lets their area get out of hand?
Prague, the home of my mother and my mother’s mother. We have been immigrants in so many ways in this country my
Mother was a lover of gardens and flowers. Having moved so much as a child and now as an older adult i have also turned to my garden as a place of solace and hope. I was inspired by the words of the text you shared to look upon the ways i can cultivate my life in my newest home in spokane. I always find connection and hope when i read your words and perceptions. Peace and grace to you may your garden flourish
I always look forward to your posts about what you're growing and how Fozzie is doing. (My husband and I "inherited" our terrier-mix rescue, Biscuit, when my parents died several years ago. She brings so much more joy than we could have anticipated.) For many years we faithfully started seedlings in our sunroom in March to be ready to plant out at the end of May. (Here in Toronto, planting out any earlier seldom works out well.) Tomatoes and peppers have been our primary focus, but also beans, various greens, lots of herbs, and the occasional eggplant and cucumber. This year we're taking a much more low-key approach. Actually purchased a handful of seedlings rather than starting from seed. Still debating whether we'll haul out the standing planter boxes from the basement. Partly this is the result of a pilgrimage trip we made to Portugal/Spain to spend time on the Camino at the end of March.
Thank you for the reminders of all benefits the garden brings to us!
I just finished planting my balcony garden today. I got a stacking planter that allows me to grow an abundance of herbs - chives, dill, basil, mint, rosemary, and marjoram. I also have a pot of strawberries, one of banana peppers, and one of sedum, and a long planter with peas in the early summer and hopefully green beans in the late summer. It's more ambitious than I've been with my balcony gardening in the past, and I'm trying to take notes to use what I learn in future growing seasons. It's been bringing me a lot of joy!
My mother was a gardener until she couldn’t balance working a mom and pop grocery store, two boys, and migraines. What I treasure most about her gardening was seeing her again, in my mind, quietly tending that little patch behind our house. I wish now I’d have joined her more willingly. Thanks for this.
Sorry to comment twice, but my wife, Sally, and I just returned from our 2nd Camino hike, this time through coastal Portugal and then Spain. We passed dozens of gardens along the way — beautiful, lush and well tended patches with potatoes and onions and sugar peas and beans, and other stuff I didn’t recognize. And we saw small, family size vineyards as well. So wonderful. All this to say that gardening is a world wide family undertaking. It’s the land and us, producing something good.
Thank you for the beautiful music. I listened while seated in my yard marveling that my 5 year old hydrangea bush is blooming for the first time-covered with buds-can’t wait to see what color the flowers are. I had almost given up on ever seeing it bloom. So gardens also teach patience.
Here in South Carolina the summer garden is about done. My husband is the brains and the brawn behind our little operation. We had squash coming out of our ears and a bounty of cucumbers. Not such good luck with tomatoes though. I like to make pickles and relishes to share. It makes me happy. Much of the little garden spot has been tilled and we have planted pumpkins. I do so want a sweet little pumpkin patch so that our grandchildren and those of our friends might come and take pictures and choose a special pumpkin for fall decorations. Tropical storm Debby about drowned the pumpkin vines but they are rallying!!
What a remarkable post. I so appreciate you - this was what I needed to read today. Thank you.
After neglecting my garden last year, I worked to get some kale going this spring, which is now producing enough to share. Yesterday I planted a tomato, a bunch of basil, and five hot peppers (my spouse likes to make homemade fermented hot sauce). And my strawberries are ripening! It feels good to be eating from the garden again.
Thank you, Jeff! This brings to mind a children's book I learned about yesterday: Salad, by Rebecca-Lynn Douglas.
A salad bowl of stories! What a lovely thought. Also, the leaves of that tree being for the healing of the nations has always given me hope and a encouragement to trust in God's provision. Thanks for the reminder. I look forward to listening to the Messiaen...I agree with you that Ascension Day is woefully neglected. It's really the thing that lets Easter make any sense. Thanks for this newsletter!
I love the idea of a community garden. Curious as to how it actually works. Do you work and harvest only your space? Can anyone come and harvest from your crop and you theirs? Or does everyone simple grow one crop and then share with all the others? How do you manage a potential neighboring gardener that lets their area get out of hand?
Jeff i have just returned from
Prague, the home of my mother and my mother’s mother. We have been immigrants in so many ways in this country my
Mother was a lover of gardens and flowers. Having moved so much as a child and now as an older adult i have also turned to my garden as a place of solace and hope. I was inspired by the words of the text you shared to look upon the ways i can cultivate my life in my newest home in spokane. I always find connection and hope when i read your words and perceptions. Peace and grace to you may your garden flourish
I always look forward to your posts about what you're growing and how Fozzie is doing. (My husband and I "inherited" our terrier-mix rescue, Biscuit, when my parents died several years ago. She brings so much more joy than we could have anticipated.) For many years we faithfully started seedlings in our sunroom in March to be ready to plant out at the end of May. (Here in Toronto, planting out any earlier seldom works out well.) Tomatoes and peppers have been our primary focus, but also beans, various greens, lots of herbs, and the occasional eggplant and cucumber. This year we're taking a much more low-key approach. Actually purchased a handful of seedlings rather than starting from seed. Still debating whether we'll haul out the standing planter boxes from the basement. Partly this is the result of a pilgrimage trip we made to Portugal/Spain to spend time on the Camino at the end of March.
Thank you for the reminders of all benefits the garden brings to us!
I just finished planting my balcony garden today. I got a stacking planter that allows me to grow an abundance of herbs - chives, dill, basil, mint, rosemary, and marjoram. I also have a pot of strawberries, one of banana peppers, and one of sedum, and a long planter with peas in the early summer and hopefully green beans in the late summer. It's more ambitious than I've been with my balcony gardening in the past, and I'm trying to take notes to use what I learn in future growing seasons. It's been bringing me a lot of joy!
My mother was a gardener until she couldn’t balance working a mom and pop grocery store, two boys, and migraines. What I treasure most about her gardening was seeing her again, in my mind, quietly tending that little patch behind our house. I wish now I’d have joined her more willingly. Thanks for this.
Sorry to comment twice, but my wife, Sally, and I just returned from our 2nd Camino hike, this time through coastal Portugal and then Spain. We passed dozens of gardens along the way — beautiful, lush and well tended patches with potatoes and onions and sugar peas and beans, and other stuff I didn’t recognize. And we saw small, family size vineyards as well. So wonderful. All this to say that gardening is a world wide family undertaking. It’s the land and us, producing something good.
Thank you for the beautiful music. I listened while seated in my yard marveling that my 5 year old hydrangea bush is blooming for the first time-covered with buds-can’t wait to see what color the flowers are. I had almost given up on ever seeing it bloom. So gardens also teach patience.
Here in South Carolina the summer garden is about done. My husband is the brains and the brawn behind our little operation. We had squash coming out of our ears and a bounty of cucumbers. Not such good luck with tomatoes though. I like to make pickles and relishes to share. It makes me happy. Much of the little garden spot has been tilled and we have planted pumpkins. I do so want a sweet little pumpkin patch so that our grandchildren and those of our friends might come and take pictures and choose a special pumpkin for fall decorations. Tropical storm Debby about drowned the pumpkin vines but they are rallying!!