Bounty of Continual Love

“Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof.” – Julie Moir Messervy

I was ultimately surprised when I looked through my pictures and found so many of my harvesting basket. I had taken 30 pictures of produce my garden provided from August into November! It was wonderful to have fresh veggies to cook with. Now, some of those veggies are preserved in the freezer and on the shelf, available for cooking at any time.

This past gardening season, I tried to be more focused on being in the moment. Enjoying being outside when the weather allowed. Enjoying being able to walk around without extra supports. Enjoying being able to play catch with my boys or watching them when I got tired of picking up the ball (they are better at it than I am). Enjoying watching butterflies flutter from one flower to the next. Enjoying watching the growth of the garden plants. Even enjoying having to untangle tomato plants and restring or provide extra supports after a few days of rain.

God provides us the simple enjoyments in life. All we need to do is to open our senses to be able to recognize them. Thank you God for a gracious bounty of love in my garden delights this past year.

Bountiful Harvest to be Savored Now and Preserved for Later

“It is like seeds put in the soil – the more one sows, the greater the harvest.” –Orison Swett Marden

I have been very pleased with my vegetable garden this year. Even though it was started late (due to a cool, wet spring) and had several challenges (insect pest, fungal disease, and drought like conditions) to deal with. This is the first year I can say that everything in my garden I started from seeds. Each year, after reviewing the previous growing season’s records, I challenge myself to try new designs, new varieties, and to try to get a bigger harvest.

In the spring, I filled my seed trays with several varieties of tomatoes, sweet peppers, and spicy peppers. The other plant seeds were direct sow, once the ground was ready for them. I ended up with 50 tomato plants in the garden!! Varieties included Rutger, Beefsteak, Amish Paste, Druzba, Brandywine, and Granny Cantrell’s German Pink tomatoes. All produced tomatoes except for 2 plants (which one the stem broke early on and had to be transplanted again). The sweet pepper plants all produced and varieties included Carolina Wonder Sweet Bell, Jimmy Nardello’s Italian Sweet, Lipstick Sweet, and Gypsy Sweet. The spicy peppers were slow to produce, however, finally did with the late summer heat. Those varieties included Orozco Carrot Chile, Jalapeno, and Ancho Poblano. The pole beans and purple hull pink-eyed peas also produced a lot of vegetables. Oh, I can’t forget about the numerous flowers interspersed in the garden. The marigolds, zinnas, and wildflowers were a big help attracting insects to the garden.

My harvest days from the garden began about a month ago. Along with watering two to three times a week (since we hadn’t gotten rain in a while), I picked vegetables twice a week as they ripened. With all the abundance of vegetables, I have cooked with some, frozen some, made pizza sauce, veggie pasta sauce, salsa, and even canned some up for later cooking and enjoying.

As harvest relates to God, I leave you with a few scriptures:

Sow fields and plant vineyards, & gather a fruitful harvest. Psalm 107:37

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

If you plant goodness, you will harvest faithful love. Plow your ground, and you will harvest with the Lord. He will make goodness fall on you like rain. Hosea 10:12