This year has been so rewarding when it comes to our garden. Last year I had a VERY difficult time having anything to do with the garden as I specifically remember the garden being the last place I was before leaving to go to town to have Aaron. I remember having labor pains and knew that I was to wait to go in until I had contractions that lasted at least 45 seconds long, every 2 minutes. (that's what 'the class' taught me anyway) So, I remember walking through the garden wih Man of Mine, holding my belly, carrying and watching the watch, and wondering to myself, "Is this really it?" That in itself left a sour feeling for me to return to after having lost Aaron due to placenta abruption, wondering when exactly the abruption occured. Was it when I was walking around in the garden? Why didn't I go in when I first felt the contractions? Why?????Why?????Why?????
This year, I look at the harvest and can't help but think that Aaron is helping me heal by providing us such a bountiful combination of produce. (I know it's a God thing, but as any of you know who have lost a babe, everything in our 'new normal world' revolves back to our loss.) I actually feel closer to Aaron when I'm out working in the garden.
Anyhoo, we have picked 3 cantaloupe (first time ever), and this being Man of Mine's least liked food, that is an acheivement in itself. I have actually witnessed him tasting one piece. It had to be the one that Austin hadn't yet devoured. I'm surprised he hasn't had orange stools considering how much cantaloupe he has inhaled the past 2 weeks. The kid loves it.
Our okra is an every day job now. We have 4 rows of it and my, how it grows. We pick two big baggies a day. We've eaten batter friend okra, bacon/squash/okra fried
up together (delish!), baked okra with oil and garlic powder (yjm, yum), and tonight we're trying it in the crockpot alongside the roast. If you have a great recipe for okra, my family would LOVE to try it. Leave a comment below if you'd like to share. My favorite way of eating okra is pickled, but I haven't yet braved that one.The beans are just coming out of the summer slump. HOT! HOT! HOT! here the past 2 weeks.
We put in 6 rows of sweet corn. A friend harvested and sold hers at the farmer's market for $5 a dozen. To me, that's a little expensive but we went ahead and overplanted for our needs so we'll be able to sell some in early October.
The tomatoes are starting to really put on. We have many different varieties on around 14-16 plants. The favorites this year are the salmon ones. Nice and Sweet. We picked some from my BIL/SIL place a couple weeks ago and made some spaghetti sauce. Usually we make salsa but I wanted to try spaghetti sauce this time. I wasn't impressed. Maybe I need a different recipe. I certainly need more tomatoes to put up more salsa. Our family eats alot for an evening snack.
Our yellow crookneck squash had bugs but after spraying they're starting to look much healthier. One plant never got bugs and it is huge! There are about 7-8 squash that are going to be ready in about 3-4 days. (mmmmmmmmm!!)
Our peppers really didn't do very good, they're doing better now that we've had them mulched the past several weeks. Not sure that they'll ever really come out of it. There's always next year.
Our onions, yellow and red, haven't done very well the last couple of years. They top out and then die down leaving us a little larger than golf ball sized bulbs to dig up. I'll have to do some reading up on them to see how we can be more productive with them.
Man of Mine enjoys the gardening. I think it's the farmer in him. They say farming is in the blood and that's what his family did all his life. I think it's his way of working the ground, planting and harvesting his own little field. He does a good job of putting in new things, too. He just sowed lettuce and radishes last weekend.
