meet me in the garden

Alex said he hadn't seen me in a while.

I'm on a first-name basis with all the Publix employees- Alex is the solemn Russian in the produce department. I had to confess to him: I don't need to come as often because I'm getting my produce somewhere else... My own backyard!

Chris & I have attempted gardening for all 13 years of our marriage. Some years we have bell peppers, others the tomatoes flow in all summer long... but this is the first year my garden has been bountiful enough to save trips to Publix!

I haven't bought eggplant or collard greens in months, cucumbers are plentiful, the bell peppers and tomatoes are keeping us supplied, and okra is starting to roll in. The green beans and squash were tasty but I didn't plant enough. Oops.

And my herbs... oh, the herb garden is my favorite!! It's a little messy but fruitful beyond imagination... kind of how I view our family! {smile}

There is more, but I won't bore you. Some are ready before I know it (radishes!) and others take their time (onions & garlic). The lemon flaunts it's fruit but strawberries are nestled among large, deep green leaves like jewels in velvet.

My blueberries were trampled by well-meaning children... I need to find them a safer place for next year. The sticks are only a couple of inches above the ground, but I think they'll come back. That's the thing about a garden. With a lot of love and even more work, it'll yield abundantly. Hmm... sounds a lot like the rest of life...