Garden Rewards

Today I was rewarded for my work in the garden - a butterfly came to visit and sat long enough for me to take a quick picture of it.

It's been a strange week.  Last Sunday  I was bringing a bag of soil into my plot when  I stepped in a chipmunk hole.  I tried to steady myself with my right foot, but the 50lb bag of soil had me off balance.  The result is a  grade 2  sprain and a boot for the next few weeks.   Fortunately, I  purchased a garden bench the same day and I've been able to continue to work in the garden this weekend.  

I managed to stop at a local farm to pick up some cucumber, zucchini, and eggplant seedlings.  I got them in the ground and realized I needed to build a trellis.  I  had a 5' x 15' trellis net, lots of PVC pipes and connectors and a general set of thoughts in my notebook.  So, with a little help from my husband, I managed to get the trellis set up.   It's three rows of pipes, the trellis stretches across one rectangle, wraps around a short side and across the other rectangle.  The front rectangle has a pipe with holes drilled in it to run twine through and down to the remaining plants. 

I'm excited that my beets are starting to beet.   I planted the seeds two weeks ago and they are happily sticking their heads up out of the soil to say, "Hi!"

I never grew from seeds before, so it's really exciting to see things pop up like this.  My Parisian carrots are starting to poke up some leaves, the banana peppers aren't up yet, but I'm hopeful.

My pumpkin is really starting to pop up too!  He has a new tower, for now.  I really want to think through how I want the tower to look and how to assemble it properly.   It may end up being more of an A-frame in the end - we'll see.  I'll spend some time online over the next couple of days and figure out what I want to do with what I have.

Last year's chives and garlic survived their move well and are thriving.  I added some walking onions to that corner of the patch.  The sage came back and the thyme seems to be happy as well.  It's looking like it will be time to start harvesting bits of them soon.  I added a couple of the eggplant to that corner as well.  

I know things aren't beautifully spaced right now, but I'm thinking it will be OK overall.  If not then I can move some stuff around.

My larger box has a row of tomato plants and some beans, which need some poles.  I planted corn in the middle of the box and will add snap peas and squash as the season goes on. I'll get some normal carrots in there, possibly next weekend.

The wild mint is out of control and I need to get in there and start weeding it out, adding it to my compost bin. I've also noticed some raspberries trying to creep in around the edges as well.  I'll see if one of my sons can come out and give me a hand with that.

I also have some window boxes that I'm about to set up with lettuce and herbs because those will be on the deck outside the kitchen.  The weather is going to be kind of icky the next couple of days before coming back to that late spring/soon to be summer weather. 

Right now, I'm feeling like I have a garden.  I don't know how, but  I do.  While  I didn't see my friend Buzzy the bee today, having a  butterfly flit and fly and gamble about made me realize that I'm doing something right.