Howdy blogworld.
I’m so pleased to be greeting you from way down deep in the heart of Texas.
The last time I was in Houston, my parents and grandparents had just planted a garden. I wasn’t all that impressed, really, as it just looked like a bunch of dirt and seemed like a kinda boring hobby to me. Over the past few months, Mom has been sending me photos from her cell phone of some of the new growth but the pictures haven’t been of stellar quality so I could not believe it when I saw the garden with my own eyes! It still has a way to go but I cannot believe it is already bearing some fruit!
I’m so excited for my parents and grandparents to have this new little garden! My grandparents, who are in their mid to late seventies, tend to the garden every single day. Each time the four of them grow something new they quarter the vegetable and eat it together, even if it’s a tiny little Roma tomato. I’m also pretty floored. I do not have a green thumb. A few years ago Colin gave me his cactus plant to take care of for a few months and I killed it in record time. I’ve even been known to starve a variety of bamboo, which, according to Colin, is pretty impressive. And please do not get me started on the rosemary I tried to plant during my cooking craze. The death of the rosemary plant was the final straw, not to mention a prophetic foreshadowing signifying the doom of my overall Betty Crocker agenda.
Do you have a garden? If so, what kind of fun stuff do you grow? If you’re like me and you don’t have a green thumb, what is your latest hobby? My latest hobby is photography. I can’t get enough. I’m driving my entire family bonkers.
My fave pic is of the sunflower with the bee. Aren’t sunflowers such show-offs when it comes to pictures? They are super photogenic! My neighbor grew a jumbo one and I took a wallpaper worthy pic of it, check it out on my blog: http://eliana0204.blogspot.com/2010/06/let-me-count-ways.html
My husband gardens and I just get to show it off to friends but photography is one of my obsessions- I love my DSLR!
out of curiousity- i checked out your sunflower pic on your blog- that IS a magnificent picture of a sunflower! it should be a post card or something!
cute little doodle-bug, as well, with the skinned knee.
Melissa, I don’t have a garden much less a green thumb, but I weed a flower bed like nobody’s business. Ha! Your photography is wonderful. Please post some more of your pictures when you get a chance. Take care, Mary
Melissa,
Nice to have you back on Texas soil!! Hats off to those of you who grow the goods. I for one, have never ventured there.
I have a love affair with flowers. And since I could not grow hydrangeas in Texas, I decided to plant as many as I could of pinks, whites, and greens along with antique roses, etc. Every other day or so, I head out to my backyard and bring in fresh cut flowers to place in vases all around the house and bathrooms. They are a remimder of God’s fragrant love and creativity to me. My husband knew how sad I was to leave my cutting garden in Austin, so as soon as we moved into our home here, he started planting away. I love him for loving me in my ‘flower’ language!
Hey Rene,
Hope you’re enjoying some fragrant blooms today. I wanted you to know how much I was blessed by your SSBS comment last week. I figured you hadn’t wandered back there recently, but I didn’t get to reply to it until this week. Can you imagine travel w/o WIFI? Horrors!
I appreciated your transparency and never want to take that lightly. It can be so costly. And yet, I hope my silliness brings you a smile.
Gotta go pretend I’m a good housekeeper for my “Ruth” gals coming tonight. Now where are those teenagers hiding?…
Love,
Kathy B
Kath,
(I’m call’n you that because I remember you said your fam called you that and now ‘we’ can, too!) You know, even when I check that box for my email notices, it only sends me a few of them…so no, I just went to get your note…did you ever get my note on the SSBS lauch..the one about the chocolaty grin?!hahaha! And O.K., that card better be at MY Barnes Noble…PRICELESS!!! : D
Yes, not only travel w/o WIFI, but when we stay at my moms in a couple of weeks (for 2 wks) she has NO internet at all, either!! AAGGHHH! Please mom (79), we got you a computer and everything…just a monthly charge ?..nope, not interested! Starbuck’s and Panera’s look’n mighty fine!!
Kept looking for your B.S. post, so knew ya’ll were running a little behind! Have fun tonight…think that’s a GIVEN. And yep, it is always a bitter/sweet thing to be transparent. Thank you for your encouraging words. Hope I can learn the difference from sharing God’s hope from within, and dumping a truckload. I was at a women’s conf. in college and remember a leader saying be careful about praying for wisdom, because that comes froms trials. Prayed for it anyway, and God is faithful!
You know I love to read your posts, no matter the content! Always a smile and outloud laugh! Speaking of those teanagers, woke up to
mischievous girls + mega rolls T.P. + wind and rainstorm last night = ‘egg-it-on’ son cleaning up one messy yard!! Oh, well, sure beats the road kill dropped off last year in the yard on a dare…
xoxo, rene : )
Road kill? Goodness gracious! Sounds like some popular, socially well-adjusted teens. I think Kansas likes them 🙂
You were right: our “Ruth” dears had a wonderful evening of sharing. I always feel so incredibly blessed afterwards. It’s like a post-Bible-study high. Makes me so glad I cleaned the commode.
Two weeks w/o internet. Ouch. I’ll miss you on here. Yes, you’ll have to lurk a bit long over your cappuccinos. I always enjoy your input.
Well, I better go make the caboose comment for the Bible study before my brain fogs up.
Love,
Kath
We had a garden every year for many years even though not at the present time. It is really a two or more person job, so when my husband got too sick to help, it went by the wayside. I remember the first time we planted potatoes; digging them up was absolutely thrilling…we had lots of beautifully big potatoes come up out of all that dirt.
I am actually in Houston this week visiting friends, and I have noticed several things about your state that Missouri does not have. First, you have REALLY REALLY BIG mosquitoes and crickets! Second, you have these blank, silver triangular signs along the Interstate that look like they could be hinged to open up and say something, and your speed limit signs have a night speed limit posted! I am immensely enjoying your town but am thankful to not be doing any of the driving. This is a big place with lots of freeways!
Melissa, I hope you have a delightful time visiting your family. It’s probably not any hotter here than it is in Georgia! 🙂
Valerie Eades
What is the name of that texas sized bug on the sunflower? It looks like a bee, but our bees in California are smaller : )
Seeing those sunflowers and your mother nearby reminds me of the story she told in “To Live Is Christ” study… about us getting only once chance in the garden and needing to go for the “big” one. I remember this in reference to Michael (?) taking a first trip in the garden and picking this biggest flower he could find.
I’ve never forgotten that story and what it meant to me in that season of my journey.
And for the record, I don’t garden in the least; I just enjoy the fruit of my friends’ laboring along those lines.
peace~elaine
I do flower beds and do like to stand back in awe when I have finished tending to it…is that wrong..I would think after all the work…NO!!!
Your photos are gorgeous…Rich would be so proud!!! Does you mom ever take a bad picture??? Simply gorgeous!!!
Blessings,
Jennifer
Oh I do have other hobbies…for a while now…sewing and quilting!!!
I don’t grow a bloomin’ thing…my husband does. I pretty much kill everything I touch. I can water the daisies; they are my favorite flower and I pray I don’t kill them, but he has to water and tend the tomatoes; our only garden this year.
I love to play golf. I’m not very good, but I like to get out on a beautiful course and whack away at it! It’s also a great place to catch up with my daughter-in-law…we golf together 3-4 times over the summer.
Your photos are beautiful; what a bounty from their garden…oh the harvest will be sweet! There really is nothing better than a fresh squash or tomato…my mouth is watering.
without green thumb,
Joni, littleton Co
LOVE the picture of your mom! I am actually a photographer – just never thought of it as something to pursue as a career. I have taken most of my family pictures – I am going to take a class this fall, Great job! I am ok with plants, as long as they aren’t high maintenance.
Blessings in Him,
Hey Melissa,
Love the pictures! I too have a deep love for photography and it also drives those I love CRAZY! Photography is therapy for me 🙂 I am known to bring the camera everywhere. I just got a new dslr and am learning to shoot in manual. I get too nervous and often switch back to auto but have learned that shooting in P mode is good practice for me. If you are interested in a good set of books to help you along, check out Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set. I have book 1 because I did not want to overwhelm myself by getting all 3. They are very easy to read although knowing you, you might be just fine with the hard to understand photography manuals…intelligent girl that you are! I have a sweet friend who is a photographer. She is holding a workshop the end of this month that I am so EXCITED to attend! Anyway, if you’d like to look at her work you can visit her blog at groverstyleblog.com
Bethany (ca)
I do not have a garden. I live in an apartment… not easy to garden… but I am attempting to care for a few houseplants and a couple mini orchids (in honor of my mother who passed away 2 years ago).
As for hobbies… this has come up lately because I’ve started dating someone and it sort of stunned me when he asked what my hobbies are and I couldn’t think of any hobbies that I am passionate about. I became a mother at a young age… and then in a difficult marriage… had 2 more children.. and then divorced 10 years ago…. I never took the time for myself to find my passion. So… it’s something I’m working on. It’s a bit sad, really… but I’m working on it. :o)
I’m not too good with plants but my husband is! We planted a little garden: 4 tomato plants and 3 are doing pretty good, 2 cuc plants, 2 yellow crook neck plants and 2 tomatillo plants (so tasty fried up with onions and tomatoes from the garden!!!) Everything has flowers and some fruit but we planted late, so not as big as the pics you took. I like to plant flowers – marigolds are hardy, flourish easily and are pretty!! But my newest hobby is making hair bows!
Don’t give up completely Melissa! 😀
lovingly, Barb
Most of my family gardens… I don’t. If the garden sees me coming, its produce immediately dives back into the dirt and cowers in fear. Last year I tried, and all I got were a few (bitter) cucumbers and 2 skinny (and also bitter) carrots. I laid my perfectionism aside and DID NOT try again. My 4 yr old tells me that when SHE is a Mommy, SHE is going to have a garden as big as her piano teacher’s. Great! I’ll come visit 😀
Ongoing (but not constant) hobby: decorating somewhat funky cakes.
Recent hobby: (don’t laugh)- buying cloth diapering stuff. We are trying to adopt and I really want to attempt CDing this time around for a whole lot of reasons. It’s something I never could have done with my 1st because I was in such bad shape after having her. So when I saw this great promo deal going on, I took advantage of it (I got like 5 cloth diapers for free… and we aren’t talking the ol’ pin ’em up kind of cloth diapers your gramma used to have to use). I figured if I just bought gradually, it wouldn’t be a big expense at one time. And if it doesn’t work out, I can resell them. It was all downhill from that first purchase… do you have any idea how many different kinds of cloth diaper styles, patterns and accessories there are out there now? They are so stinkin’ cute! I am almost addicted and I don’t even have the baby to wear them yet.
My family and I have had a garden for the past several years and really enjoy working in it and of course the harvest. However, this spring I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and as you might imagine, the garden kind of got moved to the back burner. Except for the love of our small group from our church. They purposed to plant, tend and harvest our garden for us this year and they have done just that! About 10-15 of our friends, along with some of their children planted all the usual, tomatoes, beans, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, green peppers, etc. And some flowers! They have watered it and weeded it as the weeks have gone by. I am in the midst of chemotherapy treatment and doctor says to stay out of the dirt. Anyway, it is harvest time now and just last night one of the ladies came by and picked a big bucket full of goodies. Brought them to my back door and then came in and cleaned up my kitchen from dinner!
This is by far the best garden we have ever had!! Planted with so much love and care, it has been a huge blessing for me and my family. The Body of Christ at work is a beautiful thing. I have never been more thankful for veggies from my garden and my church family.
What a beautiful story! Blessings to your wonderful church family for their thoughtfulness, and prayers for you as you go through chemo….
Adrienne
I have the black thumb of death and I’ve been known to kill a cactus too! In the next couple of weeks we are having our front yard redone and we are planting all new grass. Please pray that it grows!
Blessings!
We USED to have a nice vegetable garden…until tending to it with two little ones got to be too much. Now we have tomatoes on our back patio, and my 6-year-old “helps” tend to our rudimentary flower/herb garden.
My hobbies have remained the same for the past 20 years or so…just the time spent on them has diminished. 🙂 I love to read, write (blog these days!), sing, figure out songs on the piano by ear (I’m good at the by ear part but not the piano playing part; never really took lessons), and plan trips for myself or others (always wished I’d been a travel agent). I’m kind of weird, I guess, in a good way… 🙂
Oh how I LOVE a garden!!! I started seriously gardening about 3 years ago. We grow lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of tomatoes. They are my hubby’s fav!! We also grow the ever elusive cucumber (I still need work on my cucumber growing abilities =) okra (new this year) eggplant (also new this year) lettuce, Swiss Chard (be still my heart =) lots of herbs: sage, basil, cilantro, oregano, dill….yummy…. sunflowers….. green beans .. green peppers….jalpeno’s….and on and on….
Now aren’t you glad you asked? =)
Have a Blessed day,
Dawn
I’m with ya! No green thumb here – I can’t even keep house plants alive. I think my new hobby has become blogging. Okay, let’s be honest – it’s not a hobby – it’s quickly becoming an addiction!
Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures! They are so inspiring!
We [my husband] have a small garden. Tomato,cukes,peppers. Also several different herbs. I put out a few potato eyes to see what would happen, looks like we will have potatoes. My hobbies are scrapbooking, golfing, and in the winter months I give knitting a whirl. I really only knit scarves but it fills time and is rewarding. Have a great visit. Blessings to you and your family.
I have to laugh because growing up my mom and dad had a huge garden and I hated it. I hated weeding it and picking the product and now I miss it awfully bad. My biggest hobby is making letters for the incredimail email program. I love to make cute letters and Christian letters and bringing God glory through those letters
We live really close by to Siesta Mama and have a great garden in our backyard. My husband had our sons help him build it as a Christmas present to me a few months after we moved into our current house – so special! We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, jalapenos, summer squash, tomatillos, bell peppers, cilantro, basil, lemons and rosemary in the summer and sugar snap peas, lettuce and parsley in the winter. We always have enough to share with neighbors, family and friends. I love it!
Great pics!! I am also exploring photography. The gardening is way over my head but my dad has a big garden and I enjoy the “veggies” of his labor!!
My husband and I and mother-in-law have about an acre garden and I am passionate about it. I grew up near the ocean and knew nothing about gardening.
I love to try something new every year. This summer the challenge is sweet potatoes and eggplant. (I don’t even know if anyone we know likes eggplant.) They are challenges because here in Canada (outside of Southern Ont. and B.C.) the growing season is really short.
Our garden last year reminds me that God can do the impossible. We had a summer of wall-to-wall rain. The staple crops like potatoes – complete crop failure! BUT, tried for many years to grow watermelon (only got a couple softball-size over the yrs) and last year we had 14 Beautiful Dark Green and Wonderful Juicy Pink-Inside Watermelon.
Reminded that God tells us that He can use our weakness for His Glory – that His Power can be made perfect in us.
Let it be so this day.
I don’t have room for a veggie garden however I do have a beautiful butterfly garden.
I continue to add to it every year and just yesterday a beautiful monarch perched itself on my butterfly bush. I love it. Each year God favors my family with wonderful and beautiful treasures in my little garden. We have had Tigerswallow tales, bunnies, birds of all types.
Gotta love God with his wonderful eye for color and beauty.
Moving to Texas a year ago we decided to plant a garden with our friends at one of their farms.It is turning out interesting. Planted cucumbers that didn’t come up, so I transplanted zucchini now I have these HUGE zucchini coming up.Planted spaghetti squash next to cantaloupe we will see what happens there. We have 3 large garden beds and my son has enjoyed picking the catapillers off the plant leaves and removing the frogs from the beds.It is a drive to the garden so I decided to plant some lettuce in my front yard flower bed, when watering it I flooded it and now I have salad popping up all through out the flower bed.
There are to many hobbies of mine to list, but the one thing I can’t live without is my women’s Bible study. I introduced your mom to our new small church and they are loving it.
Have a great visit
God Bless you and your family
Karen
I’m one of those weirdos who LOVES the smell of dirt – come spring I can’t wait to get my hands in it (no gloves for this girl!)
My grandparents farmed the big land (over 400 acres) – my parents farmed a smaller piece (less than an acre) – and I, living in suburbia, have a small back yard into which I squeeze tomatoes and green peppers – a few herbs. But lots of flowers…..love it.
So many analogies as to how God grows things – people and plants……so slow that you don’t think anything is really happening. But if you look back a week or so (or a year or so in my life) – you can see how much growth has happened – to the glory of God. I could go on and on and on – but the Bible is full of those sowing and planting stories (Hmmmm….Ruth anyone?)
Anyway, also love reading (when it’s too hot or too cold to be outside), love sewing, just love life!
Our family decided to do a garden this year, after not having one for 8 years. Our daughter is 6 and our son is 12, so we really wanted our daughter to experience what it’s like. It’s been a fun learning experience to do all the different phases of the garden as a family …. plow the dirt, plant the seeds, water, weed, harvest, etc. While weeding one evening, we talked to the kids about the different ways of how the Christian life is like a garden! 🙂
So far the garden has produced for us … zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers (love the little pickling kind!), red potatoes and green beans. We can’t wait for the rest to be ready! And one of the best parts is that our daughter (who is normally very picky) has been trying all the veggies from the garden, “since she helped grow it”! And she especially LOVES zucchini – wow! 🙂
I too kill all plants that come my way. My wonderful neighbor Kathy will walk down to my house every summer and rescue my hanging plants, take them home, and bring them back a week later lush and thriving! I see the tear in her eye when she gives them back to me….and I hear her whisper to the plants, “I’m sorry” However, this year I decided to plant a sage plant. I haven’t watered it one time! It is thriving 🙂
No garden here! Sorry soil, not such great water and too many deer make for poor pickin’s! Even my geraniums in pots this year are not doing well. Who knew that squirrels would eat the blossoms?! Seems lately my only hobby is cleaning house…which I don’t really mind. When you work away from home 5 days a week, it’s a joy to me to get to spend some time being “domestic”. And I’m kinda on a quest to make the all-time, best-ever cookie. I found one recipe for almond cookies that is REALLY close…but Sweetie Pie prefers chocolate chip or peanut butter. Hmmm, wonder if chocolate chips would work in an almond cookie?….
hey west texas girl,
i think chocolate chips belong in just about ANYTHING!! when you tweek to your perfection, do share! : )
My husband has the green thumb in our family. He hasn’t had time to tend a garden lately, but a few years ago he had the best strawberry patch in East Tennessee.
I, on the other had, have a definite brown thumb. Many years ago, I had a little plant that I kept in my dorm room at college. It was a particular variety that doesn’t require much care and is pretty hard to kill (a vine of some sort), and it grew very well. I was so proud to have finally not killed a plant! One Sunday evening, I came back to my room after being home for the weekend, and a picture had fallen off the wall onto the plant and killed it. I considered this some sort of cosmic sign that I am not destined to be a gardener. My husband apparently agrees, because I am forbidden from touching anything he’s trying to grow.
My hobby is needlework – mostly cross-stitch. Very therapeutic! I hope to learn how to quilt someday, maybe after I retire.
My husband can grow anything! Hurricane Katrina literally ripped two trees in our yard apart. I thought we’d have to count them amongst the lost, but one of them he trimmed and pruned and planted ivy at the base of, which has grown up the tree to cover the scars, and it is lovlier than ever! The other, he literally bandaged by wrapping it with fire hose (this is a huge oak tree, he had to climb it, screw the “bandage” on, and drive around it with his truck to wrap it and pull it tight!) It worked! The tree survived! It grew back together!
Me? I routinely kill artifical plants!
I’ve attempted gardens before, with my usual success! I got lots of weeds and slugs! Ick. I’ll stick with produce from fresh market, ’til he gets time to make me one!
PS: Love the pics! Photography another thing I can’t do. I’m the one who takes pictures of people with the tops of their heads missing (at least with digital cameras I can usually see it and redo instantly)And I’m always 2 or three seconds off time for an action shot…
But, I can sew anything, whether I have a pattern or not, so maybe I’m not a total washout in the hobby-skills department!
Never seen anyone who could get a hat to grow on a tree, though! That’s some crazy good gardening! 😉
Melissa – hello sweet girl! I know your family is thrilled to have you home. Blessings for sure. You have that impact on others – most especially your people! I love to think of your mom and dad and family in the garden. Beth looks so pretty and that watermelon looks delicious.
Girl – this post has my name all over it. I have been called the “green arm” woman – not green thumb. I can say with no insecurity 🙂 gardening is my thing – truly. Almost my passion – prioritized of course (until I retire – then I’ll be full-time with all the plans/dreams in my head.)
Anyway, you know you can go to my albums on FB and look at all my garden pictures. Right now, I am more into my flowers, but my husband built me a beautiful raised bed, fence enclosed garden that should be featured in Southern Living when I finish… 🙂 I had squash, green beans, fordhook limas, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and butter peas this summer.
Here is a link to some of my favorite daylilies from my blog.
http://granjansjoy.blogspot.com/2009/06/beauty-for-day.html
Come see me when you get home!
Much Love,
Mrs. Jan
P.S. One of my favorite references to God is in Genesis 2:8 “The LORD God planted a garden…”
Sweet Georgia Jan,
Why am I not surprised? This just fits you like a glove. A gardening glove, that is. BTW, fordhook limas? Should I be vaccinated against this? I bet you can even make those delicious!
Hey Kath!
Fordhook limas are those big green sweet limas! LOVE them! 🙂
With one of my good old big homemade buttermilk biscuits. 🙂
Jan 🙂
Yumm! See, I said you’d make it sound delicious. Of course, I could probably eat a carburettor alongside one of your “big homemade buttermilk biscuit.”
I’m trying to grow a “garden” in my apartment. I got the seeds from my church’s “Celebration of Hope” campaign- a memento from the seeds packed to send to a country in Africa. So I thought I’d give “gardening” a chance. I have a tomato plant- growing- I never though the poor thing would survive- Mind you there is no direct sun light and I’ve had to replant to larger containers twice already. However, since the tomato plant was still alive after a few missed days of watering (persistent little thing) I felt Bob (name of tomato plant) needed a few friends- so enter a hyssop and other tall-ish green plant and I planted green pepper seeds (they have yet to sprout).
They sit on TV stands in front of a huge window in our living room. It is not the most aesthetically pleasing sight however everything is still alive which is miracle #1 – Praise the Lord. Miracle #2 will be eating a tomato!
I just love that you named your tomato plant Bob. My kids to this day won’t eat a tomato because they say, “we can’t eat Bob, we love Bob the ‘mato!”
I hope Bob grows and grows for you!
Their garden is quite impressive! We make it easy on ourselves with little to no weeding by putting in raised bed gardens. My husband is really the green thumb (and the cook too) and he has done an incredible job at tending our garden. We have strawberries, several herbs (including the beloved rosemary-we enjoy putting it on our home grown potatoes), a vast array of peppers, green beans, tomatoes, carrots, squash, zucchini and some yummy chives. We have a book entitled Square Foot Gardening that a friend gave us when we were gawking over her garden. She told us how easy it was and the next week gave us the book.
I would say the garden is more his hobby and I enjoy the fruits of his labor. I enjoy taking pictures of all his hard work. I love it when things begin blooming from those tiny seeds! The close-up shots you have of your family’s garden are magnificent!!
No veggie garden here but we do have two tomato plants in a big pot. And there are two tomatoes coming! Other than that I love flowers. I have morning glories and sunflowers and roses and hydrangea.
If a hobby is what you spend your “free” time doing, I’d have to say that mine is trying to tame the forces of entropy in our home. Looking forward to a season where I can have a hobby again. Enjoying the fruits of yours, Melissa, for now!
Amanda, you take great pictures whether in front of or behind the camera! Love the sunflower with the bee on it!
I have to say, with great affection, that there really is a talent to killing rosemary! Try a packet of purple pole beans. I planted them the year I moved in (5 years ago) and they come back every year. I don’t stake them and they climb over my fence and have the most beautiful flowers that attracts the butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. They are a lovely purple leaf with pale pink flowers. My neighbor rejoices every year when they pop over the fence and are covered with blooms! I love gardening and trust one day you will retry it when you have a bit more time, and love getting the dirt under your nails. God and I do some good talkin’ while I’m in my garden!
My hubby has the green thumb…I always forget to water the plants! We had fantastic tomatoes last year, so we decided to give an actual garden a go this year. We put some plants in a Square Foot Garden and those are doing well. We also have a bigger garden and had a variety of plants, but only the squash, some corn, and one broccoli plant survived. The rest died/dried up b/c of the drought! Not discouraged though, we’ll definitely try again next year!!!!! :o)
Photography has been my steady hobby since I was 12. I LOVE IT! I adore reading as well….anything I can get my hands on. I also love to crochet, but mostly in the wintertime and I’m a baker, but am trying to experiment more with cooking and pairing seasonings/spices with the right foods. It’s fun!
You’re pics look fantastic Melissa…what camera do you have? I have a Nikon D40x.
Your pics…..not you’re……oh well. ;o)
I garden, however, I really hate the weeding part so most years we have to sift through the weeds to find any plants/veggies. However, this year I have discovered the most amazing product and now our garden is unbelievable – virtually weed free. SO, to those that like to garden (or have flowerbeds) but do not like to weed go buy yourself some Preen – it works and is amazing!! Thank you God for whoever invented this product!!!
I used to be a wiz at Farm Town on facebook!! Then I decided that was a total waste of precious time and found you guys! I guess you and your mom and sister have become my latest hobby! So much more productive! love your guts!
Our vegetable garden ceased to be when our neighbors planted trees. But I have a perennial garden that gives me much joy. My favorite summer manicure consists of short nails embedded with dirt. I find it easy to talk to Jesus as I water and weed, and decided that He likes to be in the garden, too.
Terri
I have to share a funny story. I planted my first garden this year. 4 items. 2 grew and I am very happy about those. However, my garden is not as beautiful as Beth’s in it’s color and organization. I saw the pictures yesterday and thought how beautiful everything looked and then how mine was not so pretty!
Then I went to Bible study last night, we are in the study of David and were discussing the question about being jealous for or jealous of. We were discussing being jealous for someone in a godly way and then the pictures of Beth’s garden came to mind and I said however I am jealous OF Beth Moore’s garden! It was especially funny because these women know the struggles I have had with my own garden. We had a good laugh and a wonderful study time.
My personal gardening philosophy:
“Get tough or die”
I have an herb garden and have for years. I have begun to try to plant some tomatoes and onions, but they have not been faring well considering my previously stated philosophy. But I love my herb garden full of thyme, oregano, basil, sage and rosemary.
My parents still garden. My dad has a very bad back- so he can’t get to it every day like he likes to. He considers it a blissful day when his back has allowed him to “work in the garden.” I have wonderful memories of playing with my sister in the rows of corn, digging up potatoes, and (less pleasant) shelling peas until our fingers turned purple. Meals through the summer always consisted of new potatoes split and buttered, home-made cornbread, peas, tomatoes, and maybe some squash. That was our typical summer dinner. No meat necessary. To this day, my mouth waters for those things through the summer!
I
Question: why in the world would peas make your fingers turn purple? I’ve never eaten a purple pea. Does this have any correlation to the French peas pouring purple slurpies on the Israelites in the Veggie Tales version of Joshua at Jericho? Just wonderin’
I am not a gardener. Not such great memories of garden “labor” when I was a kid. I much prefer to visit the local farmer’s market and support their business!
However, in our tiny little flowerbed, my husband decided to plant 5 tomatoe plants and 4 different pepper plants this year. It’s technically his project, but I am becoming uncharacteristically more interested in it as the fruit is so gorgeous! Truly, nothing tastes better than a garden grown summer tomatoe!!
I have always loved house plants though. But even there, I haven’t been successful. My cats eat them. So, a few years ago, I gave up and threw all those chewed-on plants away. But there are signs of hope once again. My son’s girlfriend gave us an orchid plant at Easter- it’s still living!! The cats are leaving it alone. We’re reading up on how to care for them. In fact, we talk of turning our guest bedroom into “the orchid room”!!
Perhaps those house plants will start reappearing one day!
(I mean, truly, it’s dreadful. I can’t even get roses for Valentines Day without having to keep them in the pantry to save them from the cats!! Uhhh!)
(And, no, I can’t get rid of my kitties!)
My husband has the REAL green thumb. As long as the plant is in the ground and not in a pot. LOL. He grows veggies. Tomatoes (we’ve canned several quarts this year), zucchini(sp?), squash, eggplant, garlic, onions, melons, bell peppers, green beans, long beans, black eyed peas, lettuce, spinach, peanuts, corn…. Not all of it was successful this year but most of it was! I prefer to grow flowers. I have a limited repitore (sp?). Roses, petunias, pansies, shasta daisies…. I just returned from vacation and saw SO MANY beautiful flowers. I will have to read up on some to see when I can grow them here.
I forgot to add that my hobby is scrapbooking! Wish I had more time for it!!!
I DO have a garden! Earlier today, I posted some darling photos of peas on my own blog! They are very photogenic. 🙂
Melissa … you are so cute! When you have kids one day, they will have the best baby pictures ever!!! Hobbies … I don’t have too many … I remember being at a Christian parenting conference when the girls were babies and being told that when you have children, this is not the time to have hobbies! Unless it’s a hobby that you can include your children, of course!! (intent: focus on your kids!)But I used to drive my girls crazy with taking pictures. And my husband would tease me because when you go to take a picture of the girls … they aren’t sure if they should smile or look solemn!! But they will not be shy of pictures! Oh, life is a blast!! You are an awesome photographer … have fun!