My Garden Missed Me

While I was off being footloose and fancy free on my mini vacation, my garden was back here missing me.  I heard it breathe a huge sigh of relief when I came home and went out to check on it.  Oh, wait… that was me.  😉

I missed my garden while I was away.  Putzing around, tending to it, admiring its daily progress, and spending time out there reflecting on the various life lessons it teaches me ~ about growth, strength, resilience, and beauty (just to name a few).  I had some of that on my trip too, being out in nature always speaks to my soul, but sometimes it’s in the simpler, everyday things that I hear those lessons the clearest.  Or maybe I’m just being overly dramatic about my garden.  😀

Anyway there’s lots going on out there!  I’ve had a wonderful harvest of green beans, and they’re still coming!  I must take another look at the seed packet for these because I definitely have a different variety than I had last year, and I want to make sure I get this same kind again.

I’ve also been enjoying a great harvest of zucchini.  There is so much happening on this one plant, it’s crazy!

I love it, so fun!  We had chilly autumn-like weather over the weekend and I baked up my first loaves of zucchini bread.  I flubbed it up and their bottoms stuck to the pans, but it still tasted delicious.  Before I went on vacation, I played mad scientist in the kitchen and experimented making new concoctions using zucchini, and I’m happy to report that I came up with a very yummy oven fried zucchini recipe!  One can never have too many zucchini recipes when the season comes around.  😀

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The cucumbers are coming right along as well…

I’ve lost a few to the squirrels, but there appear to be plenty of them developing on the vine to be able afford to share a little.

Remember the baby squirrels I had living in my tree this past spring?  (if not, see “Amidst My Branches”)  Well, I’m pretty sure they’re the culprits.  And, they appear to be quite tame.  One of them came right up to me on the patio yesterday morning, I thought it was going to climb right up into my lap!  And another (or maybe the same one) poked around on the ground and then climbed around in the lilac bush right next to me while I was at my potting bench, not one bit nervous of me being so close by.  They must recognize me from my window when I gawked at them and photographed them.  😉  Anyway, they’re not being too much of a nuisance at this point, hope it stays that way.  They sure are cute little things!  ♥

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I’m starting to see the first hints of red on the tomatoes…

Yes I know, technically it’s orange, but orange is the first hint of red.  😉

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Not seeing any yellow yet on my bell pepper though…

But it’s still a bit too early for that.  I’m not getting very many blooms that are developing into fruit on this plant and I’m not sure why.  It started out with tons, but they all shriveled up and fell off in the early stages.  I may have to read up on what the deal is with that.  In the meantime, I’m just happy to have this one growing nicely.  🙂

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And I’m also happy I’ve got more jalapenos developing…

I had someone steal the last ones that came ready, and it wasn’t a squirrel.  But I’m not going to go into that story, I’m just gonna be glad that more are growing out there.

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Things are blooming out there too.  The Hosta are looking lovely…

as are the Phlox…

and the Bee Balm…

My sis bought me this plant last year and I’m so pleased it’s growing well.   Even if it’s slightly weird looking, it smells so wonderful and has such vibrant color!

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There were a few garden casualties sustained while I was gone.  My cheerful little strawberry pot got completely obliterated in the heat wave we had.  My dear mom did all she could to try and keep it going, but it just couldn’t be helped.  I trimmed back all its foliage and am excited to see some new little growth sprouting out of it.  Also, one of the pots of petunias I had on the patio bit the dust.  I trimmed that back as well, but I’m not sure it’s gonna make it, I’ll have to wait and see if it perks back up.

Otherwise all is alive and well in my tiny garden, and for that I am truly grateful.  Time to head out there right now with my coffee for my morning “lesson.”  It’s a beautiful morning here, hope the weather is nice wherever you are too!  😀

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✿~Gardening is my therapy~✿