The Good Earth

A couple of weeks ago, I told my husband that I really wanted to put a garden in this year. I put one in last year, and then shortly after I started getting plants, I promptly took off for three weeks to (almost heaven) West Virginia. When I got home, the weeds were bigger than the plants. We had quite a few fried green tomato feasts, zucchini and squash, and evidently our neighbor had his fair share of watermelon that I never even knew produced (ugh!) - but it was too much for me alone. Travis consented, so this is what we did together on Mother's Day -
We planted 3 rows of corn, 2 types of lettuce, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes here and squash and zucchini and cucumbers on mounds that are not in this picture. I also plan on planting some melons on some other mounds in the back yard. While I don't particularly like the weeds, or bugs, or the back-breaking labor of having a garden, or enduring the heat and sun, I would enjoy defraying some of my projected grocery bill for the summer. I also think there is a lot of value for Travis and I to work together, our hands in the dirt and participate in the process of nurturing life from the ground. There is an organic, back to the basics, Adam and Eve-ness to it all, 'cept we was wearing clothes - mainly for the sake of the neighbors.
This is a late start around here. There are people in our area that already have mature gardens that are producing, and we just put seeds in the ground. No matter - with the long growing season we should have plenty of yield. I am not sure that is the point of this garden anyway.

Our Window Garden

I was so excited when I heard that the last frost for our area in SE Texas was the 1st of March! I can't wait to get my garden started. I have really gotten excited about it this weekend because the weather has been so sunny and nice. Last Friday afternoon, Kullen and I covered the 7 x 5 island in my kitchen with dirt, and pots, egg cartons, and seeds of a large assortment. I had purchased these shelves to sit near a sunny window and start my seeds, so I figured I had better get them going. After we were all finished, I really and truly wondered if we would actually grow anything. But yesterday (only 2 1/2 days after planting them!) we started to see some sprouts! Zucchini and squash, melons and cucumbers are all coming up first. Some of the other plants, such as tomatoes, peppers and some of the herbs I planted seem a bit more reluctant. We started some of the seeds in soil, and others in a sort of terrarium environment with these neat pellet things that you expand with water and push the seeds in their centers. This is actually where we're seeing the best results so far. We are also using a "plant" light - as it has been so rainy here in east Texas that I wasn't sure there would be enough sunlight to get these babies going! Kullen is very excited about it- and he even gets upset with me if I happen to water it without him. I think this is one of the best learning experiences of all. I am enjoying the opportunity to work on it with him. I love the lessons of nurturing something and watching it grow! I love getting your hands in the dirt. I love it that we just recently read Genesis 1 again - and learned that each living thing produced seed "after its own kind" - and as Kullen and I planted, we talked about how neat it was to think that the very seeds we were planting descended from the first of those kind in Creation! All of life truly is an opportunity to worship!