Sowing the Seeds of Love

I was excited when a friend on Facebook posted that he had extra Cherokee Purple open-pollinated tomato seeds. He sent me some and James and I started them indoors yesterday.


Last year James and I planted a garden together, and unfortunately there was too much rain for a good crop of anything other than Basil!

We had a great time talking about how things grow, why plants need water and sunlight, and where seeds come from. James asked me why we weren't planting actual tomatoes, instead of seeds. Tee hee!



James had a great time filling the egg carton we used with soil, but the tomato seeds were a little too small for his toddler fingers to get a good grip on. We had about 30 seeds in total, so I am hoping to get at least a few good seedlings from our little science experiment!


Apparently every good gardener must stick out their tongue at the completion of a project!


We found a nice sunny spot that would be safe from Ella and Henry. I just adore the look on James' face in this photo. A little boy, excited for what's to come.


Hmmm . . . I guess since I just started some seeds indoors, and there are Crocuses in bloom and the Forsythia are budding it is time for a new blog header!! Bye bye Winter--Hello Spring!

Good Stuff

Let the home grown, bountiful harvest begin!

Grill A Summer Vegetable & Black Bean Salad!

I have been itching to put together a favorite recipe for my bloggy friend's Tasty Tuesday project. I'm a little early, but since the weekend is here, I though some of you might want to try it!

First, get your grill heating up. For my salad I start with a bunch of my favorite veggies--fresh corn on the cob is available here now (the corn I planted is just now peeking out of the ground, so that will be a long while before it makes it into this dish!) I also grab some Vidalia onions, a Pablano pepper. green peppers, cherry tomatoes and squash.

Slice them up and place on a tinfoil covered sheet (for easy clean up). Spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil on both sides. Place on the grill, and be mindful of any pieces that you may have sliced really thin, as they could burn easily.


After everything starts to smell good (like one of those Sausage and Pepper vendors at the fair) and there is a decent char on the veggies, take them off the grill.


Next, I shave the corn off of the cob. This step always reminds me of when I was a kid and had braces. This is how my Dad had to prepare it for me! What an agonizing few summers, not being able to eat my corn on the cob with typical typewriter action!


Next, rough chop the rest of the veggies.


Throw everything in a bowl, and add black beans. Rinse them first (some people don't, but I always have.)


Next, I salt and pepper liberally, and add olive oil (a few turns around the bowl) and balsamic vinegar. This is a great step in the recipe to experiment: I have used Newman's Italian Dressing here and been very pleased with the result as well.


Voila! Isn't it beautiful? You could add chopped basil or cilantro, serve it as a topping for fish tacos, alongside steak, or mix it with pasta.



I scooped a little in my bowl for lunch, and then topped with Feta cheese.


Summer perfection in a bowl! Now, it will truly be perfect once my own basil, tomatoes and corn are in it!

3 New Birds and Our Garden Goes In

We had a great weekend of bird watching, if you can call sitting and eating breakfast and looking out your window actual birdwatching!

Over the last few days we were fortunate to see and grab a photo of a Red-Bellied Woodpecker--he lights for just a few quick moments at a time, and I always rush to grab the camera and he is gone before I can get it.

This very morning I was eating breakfast and looked out and saw a HUGE bird in my feeder--or at least huge compared to anything else I have seen there! I yelled out to Chris "What the HECK IS THAT??!!!" and grabbed the camera and got ONE SHOT before he was gone. I guessed a Grackle and was right!

On Friday afternoon I saw a new bird on the deck that I thought might be a Mockingbird, but my Dad got this one right--a Catbird!


And lastly, some pics of my new garden! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift my husband gave to me, a five-foot tall fence to keep our lovely deer out. I almost choked when we were tallying up the cost of the materials at our local hardware store--the fence was more expensive than the plants in the garden!

We went to a wonderful local organic nursery called Jessica's Garden to buy our plants and seeds.


After the fence went up, James and I raked and planted for most of the afternoon. He loved getting his hands in the dirt--and I did my best not to be too meticulous about having him plant seeds EXACTLY the specified space apart, LOL! I can tell already that we will have massive groupings of carrots, and then none, and then another huge bunch, so I may well have to do some transplanting!


So here is what went in:

four kinds of tomatoes
cukes
broccoli
basil
garlic
spinach
carrots
radishes
three kinds of lettuce
pumpkins
pole beans
corn
watermelons
sunflowers
zinnias
marigolds
morning glories

I was sure when we left the nursery that I would only fill half of the space I have available, but NOPE! We filled the entire garden! I hope I can keep up with the weeding!

I'll keep you posted on our progress--ahhh, I can almost taste those fresh slices of tomato sprinkled with salt and pepper. C'mon garden, GROW!

A Hopeful Garden

If I look out my kitchen door, I see a great opportunity--my new garden. I was very excited when we looked at our house when I found a nice garden bed about 20" x 30" that had been built into a slight raise in the yard and flanked on three sides by a short stone wall.


I don't know how long it has been dormant, but not too long--as not much grass has had an opportunity to take hold. I have been wanting to double-spade it to turn the earth over, but my husband is insisting that we borrow a rototiller from a friend. I am okay with that--he wants to take care of me, and I love him for it.

My Dad always had a garden for as long as I can remember. His gardens were, in a word, magnificent.

Mom, Amy, Dad and me, about 1979

I have no intention of having an enormous garden--not yet. His advice to me has been to start simple, and that is what I am going to do. A few Heirloom tomatoes, some cukes, a couple of green beans, carrots and onions and some sunflowers for James. Maybe some marigolds and some basil, too.

The last few months have been difficult, to say the least. But--I am seeing a light ahead. I have been talking with my husband, my Dad, my sister about my grief--how it waxes and wanes, and how everything seems to be framed within it. Things that shouldn't bother me at all cut deeply and I cry at night about them. Other things that should hurt like hell just leave me numb.

I know that the people that love me recognize that I need some time to step back into the world.


With their continued support, I think I'll step into my garden first.

Thoughtful Words

Lillies of the Valley from Mom & Dad's heritage garden last summer

I have been getting back into Blogland slowly, dipping my toes in here, and here. These two writers bring me great joy whenever I stop in. I was reading this blog today and stumbled over this bit of prose by the Dalai Lama that she had posted a few days back. I really admire her blog--it is spare but filling at the same time--it comforts me.

So, I thought I would share the words with you that she shared with her readers. They seem fitting for today.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When you realise you've made a mistake,
take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Live a good, honourable life.

Then when you get older and think back,
you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

Learn the rules, so you know how to break them properly.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Be gentle with the Earth.

Remember the best relationship is one in which your
love for each other exceeds your need for each other.