Yes folks, I know this Toonmoose blog entry has been a little while coming, but I hope it will be no less welcome for being slow in arriving. The simple truth is, our weather this summer, warm with timely rainfall, has made for great growth in both the flower and vegetable beds. This, in turn, has kept us busy, busy, busy, planting and weeding – gardening. I have had the choice of “doing it,” or “writing about it,” and the “doing” has won out. (Nevermind what the weeds have to say about this.)
Still, now that some of our crops are reaching the harvest stage, I am
happy to step back and take a break long enough to share some thoughts and
photographs of what may be our best gardening season yet. Bear in mind, having had our worst
Winter in years last year, with months of unrelenting snow and ice, most of us here
in the Northeastern U.S. had forgotten what green, growing plant life looked
like! It is no surprise that one may have felt tempted to stand outside and
marvel at the approach of Spring when it finally came.
Our plantings this year incorporated a broad selection of ornamental and
edible plants, including (but not limited to): Cosmos, Zinnias, Snow Peas,
Lettuces, Basil, Cucumbers, Peppers (both Sweet and Hot), Swiss Chard, (Red)
Okra, Green Beans, Carrots, Zucchini, Eggplant, Beets, Butternut Squash,
Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Kale, Peas, Radishes, Turnips, Parsnips, and of
course, Tomatoes. Corn, I get from a neighbor down the road who has more room
for growing it. My abiding thanks to my friend Michele Vicat and the folks at
Renee’s Garden, through whose generosity many of the seeds we grow were
obtained. Even before the official arrival of Summer at 6:51 AM on June 21st,
each day has had its highlights, whether it was the appearance of a germinating
seedling, the first bud to blossom on a flower or the ripening of a fruit or
vegetable to an edible state. Each of these moments was thrilling. But, rather
than have me scramble for the right words to describe this, let’s let the
pictures do the talking. Enjoy the following selection of images,
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and know that
the taste of the real thing is better than the pictures look. More to come,
soon, really. Keep gardening!
