Garden

It seems like forever since I have updated on here. I have been on vacation since May 19th and have been thoroughly enjoying the time off work. I have cleaned the whole house - going through drawers, cabinets, closets and such - the bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room/craft area, the garage, and the "black hole" otherwise known as the spare room. It was not named the black hole for no reason - things that went in there were lost. It is so organized now - I can find what I want, I have room for a small table to sew, and most of all - I can see the floor (stuff had just been tossed in there....lol. ) Any unwanted or not used items were boxed up for a garage sale sometime this next month or so. It has been work but the final results are so worth all the time and effort. My furry companion, Miss Cleo, has helped. She helped by following me from room to room, she helped by climbing into any empty box, she explored all areas of the house - open a door or drawer and she thought she needed to see what was in there. She was such a nuisance but a good nuisance. Such a joy to watch the curiosity of a cat!!!

This is Miss Cleo lying on the back of the couch trying to decide what to get into next....lol.

Growing up, we always had a huge garden. My mom canned, froze, or somehow stored/saved anything and everything. When I was married - I did the same. I am not planning on canning that much or putting that in the freezer, but so wanted some fresh veggies (just not the same when you go to the store and buy them). Last year, I wanted to plant a few veggie plants but never got it done. So this year I was determined to get some planted. I had bought 4 large planters last year during the after the season clearance and stored them in the garage for this year. See, I told you I was determined...lol. I have a large back deck that is not really used that much, but lots and lots of sun shines down on it. So perfect for my container garden. I did need to get some more larger pots, but am so pleased with the results. I can sit at the kitchen table and see my garden's growth. With all the greenery I decided I needed some color too - so I bought this lovely hanging basket of petunias. They look so pretty and best of all - they were marked down from $14.99 to $7.99. WhooHoo!!! Love to save money. I have a total of 3 tomato plants - I got two of them a couple of weeks before I got the third plant, so they had more chance to grow - they already have blooms on them and are getting quite tall. Can't wait till there are red tomatoes. Yummy!!!

I love broccoli too so decided to try to grow some. It did not come in individual pots so had to get a small tray. There are 6 broccoli plants. I originally had them in smaller containers then had to transplant them - good thing I did cause they were getting root-bound. I have heard that broccoli needs a larger pot in order to produce - not sure mine are large enough, but so far they are growing. I, also, got one pepper plant. I do not like big chunks of pepper, but love to use it for seasoning, so if it produces it will be perfect for me. I had a small package of seeds - peas - so decided to see what would happen if I planted them. The first couple nights they were in the pot - a late night-time visitor (a raccoon) decided to dig in the pot - some of the seeds got uprooted. They had not been planted that long of a time, so I just pushed them back down and covered them back up. The peas have taken off. My friend came over and we made a make-shift trellis for them. I have no idea whether they will produce, but will say they are sure pretty and I am so enjoying watching them grow.

So what are you doing this year? planting a garden? planting flowers? anything? hope you take some time to plant something and watch God's handiwork in action as he helps your plant to grow. Have a blessed day.