Cabbage

Some of you may remember my very first post about my vegetable garden. Well since then I have harvested lettuce and broccoli. Last week, we harvested all of our cabbage. It was wonderful. The heat and worms made us decide to take out all of it, even the heads that were not quite as big as we would like.



I think for our first vegetable garden attempt we have really been successful.



The cabbage was the last of our spring veggies. Now we are waiting on tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, and green beans. I never got around to planting any eggplant. Is it too late?



Of course I can't only show you the good parts of my garden. I have to keep it real. Now for a question for the master gardeners out there....do you compost garden waste, till it in, or just dispose of it?

Then and Now

Isn't it funny how time changes things? Last week it was hot and so very dry, but after a day of rain (a little over two inches) everything is green and beautiful again. It made me think about how just a couple of months ago I thought that the winter was going to last forever. I knew it wouldn't, but it just seemed like it would.

I spent some time today looking at some of my late winter posts to see exactly how much things have changed since then. Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may remember my post about our new vegetable garden. It is hard to believe that we have now harvested some wonderful romaine and broccoli.

Then (early March)


Now (a little overgrown, but producing broccoli)


Then (February, I thought John had ruined my knock out roses.)


Now (His 'tough love' did them a favor)


Then (Our landscaping looked dull and drab.)


Now (It is my favorite place to sit and drink coffee or dine.)


Now (We have baby tomatoes on the vine.)


Now (We have heads of cabbage on our plants.)


One thing in life is certain.....things are always changing!

Whimsical Garden

Today was a very rainy day here in the North Carolina Piedmont. There was not a whole lot that I could do outside, so I spent much of the day cleaning the house and getting ready for a yard sale that we are going to have in a couple of weeks. I decided that it was time to get rid of some of the clutter that was taking over in our household.

Yesterday, I promised some pictures of my garden tour in Cheraw, South Carolina. Before I share those, I had to give a veggie update. During my late evening walk around the yard yesterday, I stopped to look at the vegetable beds. For those of you who have been keeping up with the progress, you know that for a couple of weeks we have been enjoying the romaine and butter crunch lettuces that we have planted. You also know that we have been worried about our broccoli being so big and leafy but not producing florets. Well, no more worries. I noticed broccoli growing in the center of the plants. I just had to call my dad to share the good news. I knew that he would appreciate it. I also had to take John outside in the dark with a flashlight to show him. I was so excited that he asked me if I had been drinking!!! I just love watching things grow. Don't you?

Oh well, on to what I promised.... a few pictures of the garden tour. We decided to work our way through the tour backwards as to avoid the crowd. I think it worked. The first garden we toured was a beautiful whimsical garden decorated with many found or discarded objects. The lady who gardens here believes in using everything in some way. It was very cute and comfortable, the kind of place one would love to stop and sit a spell. I hope my pictures will do it justice.

The garden club had each stop marked with these cute little signs. Don't you just love it?




I love how the owner used an old set of painted steps to hold potted plants. Notice the broken pot on the right, she never throws out anything. She even used broken dishes and an old kitchen mixer for a planter.



I love the bottle tree. I am thinking of adding one of those to my own garden.



What a great idea for some old rakes. I am sure everyone has a few of those lying around.



She even used old light fixtures for hanging bird baths. And speaking of baths, do you see the old bath tub? I'm sure my husband would die if I put one of those in our yard. I loved it. I especially loved the knock out rose bush and the pink peony. Don't you?



There were too many details to include without going overboard with this post. These were just a few examples of her creative ideas. I felt as though this garden belonged to Alice in Wonderland.... I wish I were brave enough to garden this way. Are you?

Broccoli Troubles

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I have started a vegetable garden for the first time this year. We have enjoyed harvesting and eating the wonderful romaine lettuce that we planted and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of some delicious broccoli. There is just one problem.

Today I went out to check the garden, as I do every day, and this is what I noticed.
The leaves are big and beautiful. They are the prettiest color of green imaginable.



But, there are no broccoli spears developing.



It rained a little last night, and some of the broccoli plants had fallen over on the ground.



So, my questions for all of those experienced gardeners out there are...............
What is happening with my broccoli? Will it ever produce? Any suggestions are welcome.

Harvesting Lettuce!

We have been very busy for the past couple of days. Yesterday was John's birthday and we spent the entire day together. We had some business in Charlotte so we spent the day in the city. When we were finished we came home and grilled a nice dinner to celebrate his birthday. I love this time of year when we are able to get outside and enjoy the evenings.

We have been adding some things to our landscaping. One of the new additions is some Blue Sensation Salvia. We had some areas that needed color and I just love the blue/purple color of these plants. They are supposed to attract hummingbirds. I hope they do okay.



Today was a very exciting day in our veggie garden. We decided that one of our romaine lettuces was ready to be harvested. I waited for John to get home so that we could cut the plant together. I just felt that he needed to be a part of such a monumental event.



After we cut the lettuce I brought it in and washed it and cut it. After a few spins in the salad spinner, it was ready to eat.



John ate his with tomatoes, cucumbers, and ranch dressing. Catie likes hers with Italian dressing, cheese, and croutons. I personally love a Caesar salad, so I made mine accordingly. It was delicious! We had some shrimp linguine left over from Monday when my parents brought us some fresh shrimp from the coast. Dinner was fantastic. There is nothing like eating something harvested fresh from the garden. I think I am going to love my new vegetable beds. Now, If the broccoli will just hurry up, life will be perfect!!

Back to my Ordinary Life

I really appreciate you all taking a walk down memory lane with me for the past week, however, it is good to get back to blogging about my ordinary life. Seeing far away places and making memories is always fun and exciting, but I have found that it is in the ordinary events of my life that I find the most joy and peace.

I have actually found that my reminiscing has served to remind me of how blessed my every day life truly is. It is important to remember that when one travels to a distant place that seems extraordinary, to the people who live there it is just home. And speaking of home, I may have been blogging about last years trip; but I have been at home the whole time working in the flower beds and vegetable beds enjoying the beautiful weather. We have had a lot happening in our little corner of the world, so I thought I would catch you up on a bit of it.

My snowball bushes are really showing out this year. They are only a couple of years old and not very big yet, but they have had a lot of blooms. I may try to bring some inside tomorrow.



Our broccoli and lettuce is getting very big. I don't know how much longer the broccoli will take to be harvested, but I am just about ready to make me a romaine salad.



We lost a cabbage, so John decided to put a couple of tomato plants in its place.



Our Encore Azaleas are finally blooming! I always enjoy the color they bring to the yard. I do have five that the goats got a hold of last year that do not have any blooms. That's a story for a future post!



Hostas are coming up all over the place. Our front yard is shaded and I can't seem to get enough of these plants. The beautiful greens and blues of these never disappoint.



Ordinary life can be extraordinary! It depends on how you view things.

Spring Break

Yippee! Spring break is here! Even when you home school it is nice when spring break arrives. Just to have the extra time to garden, do a little cleaning, or just plain relax is a special treat. Knowing that the girls can sleep in and I can get a little extra work completed around the house is nice.

Our break started out with a busy schedule, however, the rest of the week should not be quite so hectic.



Catie's school performed "Alice in Wonderland" on Thursday night at a dinner theater. Didn't Catie make a cute Alice? She even spoke with the proper accent!


Although we worked in the yard on Friday and Saturday, I did manage to take a few pictures. The redbud tree and the spirea bush were begging to be photographed.


It seems that we have skipped spring and headed straight into summer. The temperatures have reached the nineties already. I think it may prove to be too hot for my romaine lettuce in the vegetable beds. What do you think?


I was excited to find one of my asparagus plants popping up through the soil.


Easter weekend was lovely. I can't remember ever having such a warm Easter Sunday before. We had a beautiful service early in the morning at church, spent the afternoon with family, and even managed to catch a couple of fish from the pond.

Every tree is leafing out and every plant is emerging from the ground. I hope it doesn't get cold again, or we will loose many of the tender leaves that have grown. I did find a couple of drawbacks to the warm weather we have had: SNAKES! There were two black snakes in my yard today. I managed to run one back into the woods and the other disappeared (under the house perhaps). I hope this is not a sign of what is to come.

How did you spend your Easter weekend?

All Is Quiet on the Home Front

After a busy weekend of prom dress shopping and two performances of our Easter Drama at church, all is finally quiet on the home front. We have settled into spring nicely with temperatures that are in the sixties. We are expecting an eighty degree day later in the week. The initial excitement of spring blooming has settled down a bit and things are growing steadily. Our newest additions to the family are very comfortable in their new surroundings.


Garth loves to snuggle in the soft blankie for a little nap.


Voltaire thinks that Catie needs help with her homework.


The garden is still alive and seems to have grown a little. Boy, does gardening take patience!


My two rows of garlic have finally popped up through the ground. I wasn't sure if they would grow very well here. I have never known anyone to try it.


Finally, my spirea has fully bloomed- much later than usual.

As you can see, things are pretty quiet around here right now. I expect to spend a lot of time working in my flower beds later this week. The prediction of warm, sunny weather makes me realize how much there is to do in the next few weeks. However, I think I'll enjoy the peace and quiet for a little while longer.

Spring Veggies on the Way!

Wow, what a day! The first day of spring brought us some of the prettiest weather yet. The temperature was in the upper seventies and the sky was the most beautiful Carolina blue. We started working on our vegetable beds early and finished up by mid afternoon. Now, those of you who are experts, remember that we are beginners. Our rows may not be perfectly straight, our plants may not be spaced correctly, and in the morning the deer may have totally destroyed it, however, we are extremely proud of our accomplishment. John and I enjoyed our time working together. Our sixteen year old was shopping with friends and our twelve year old decided that grandma's house would be more fun than working in the garden, so it was just the two of us most of the day. We make a pretty good team if I say so myself! If you are looking for perfection, you might not want to view the following pictures. However, if you are curious about gardening by trial and error, please feel free to continue on.



This is how the first bed looked this morning.



This is John wearing his tool belt while finishing the framing of the second bed.



Carson was the shovel holder until she decided to bail out and go to grandma and grandpa's house.



This is one of the beds after everything had been planted and watered.

The funniest thing happened. When I opened the asparagus that I had ordered, I couldn't decide how to plant it. I dug my trenches and planted it just like the package said to do it. The only problem was that I didn't know which side was up. I couldn't tell if the stringy stuff hanging off of it were roots or leaves. I decided to just check the internet for some information before watering them. Low and behold, I had planted them upside down!! Thank goodness for the internet! Now, remember my disclaimer: I am a BEGINNER! We got a good laugh out of that one.



After a busy day working in the vegetable beds, John and I headed down to the pond for a little relaxation. There is nothing like sitting on the pier in the quiet of the evening watching the reflection of the clouds on the water.

Hopefully the deer will stay in the woods and out of the yard tonight. I'll keep you posted! Happy first day of spring!

Spring Has Sprung!

I love this time of the year. The weather today is gorgeous! The temperature is in the seventies and everything is coming to life. I was so excited to see my Star Magnolia starting to bloom. It is the prettiest tree. I just hope we do not have any really cold nights or the blooms will turn brown.



Aren't the fuzzy buds so pretty?



I love the soft white color of the blooms.



I am so excited about my vegetable garden. I have purchased several different things to plant tomorrow. I can't wait!



John finished framing one of our submerged/raised beds this week. He will finish the other tomorrow. We will then back fill around the frame, add more soil, and then plant! Wish me luck. I am very new to this.




I'll be sure to post some pictures of the progress we make! It's going to be a busy weekend!

Busy Weekend

This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

As I sit here writing today, I feel tremendously blessed! The sun is shinning brightly and the birds are singing sweetly. My family has had a wonderfully, busy weekend!

One of the special things we did this weekend was to attend Carson's first guitar recital. She taught herself how to play last summer and in the fall we started her in lessons to help her advance in her picking. She is learning the bluegrass style of playing, although her love is country music. She was so nervous last night and wanted to back out. I reminded her to say a little prayer and told her that she would do fine. She stepped out on stage and played "Wildwood Flower" without a single missed note (including a difficult G run at the end). We were so proud, especially her pa pa, who didn't know that she was learning his favorite song. I made a deal that I would not take any pictures while she was playing if she would pause at the end for a shot. She was so happy to be finished that she forgot to wait. I hope the photographer for the studio got a good picture for me. I am always so proud of both of my girls when they accomplish things that they didn't think that they could.




I was also very happy when John was able to put the soil in our submerged vegetable beds. The cotton seed hulls mixed with our topsoil looks very promising. I am in the process of deciding what to plant. I have ordered some asparagus, garlic, and green beans, so far. I know that I also want some assorted lettuces and broccoli. This is all very new to me. My dad has been a master gardener for years. I hope his knowledge has somehow rubbed off on me.



Look at my handsome, hardworking husband. To a country girl, there is nothing better looking than a man on a tractor.



After church today, I walked around to find some more signs of spring. The daffodils have finally started blooming. These are some that have been around for as long as I can remember. They are on my parent's property, and were there long before they purchased it. My mom said that they were planted by the elderly lady that lived there many years ago. Isn't it amazing how the things that we plant today will be around for years to come to brighten the lives of others?



I can't help but smile every time I see the beautiful yellow of a daffodil.



I will be going with John to Asheville for the next couple of days for business. I will take my camera and hopefully have something to share from my trip when I return. Have a blessed week!