Gardening Joy

It rained again today. It just doesn’t seem to want to stop! I gave in early this spring and started doing everything I need to do in spite of the spring showers.  I’m trying to enjoy my garden once again, as I didn’t get to garden last year because of the store; but it’s been a little difficult to find that gardening joy when it's raining. We ended up tilling in the rain, planting in the rain; then, planting a bit more in the rain. I gave up on waiting for Mr. Sun and planted my potted plants in the rain. Rick sprayed the fields barely getting the required 6 hours of dry weather, before the rain clouds appeared with an almost torrential down pour.

Our schedule simply wouldn't cooperate with the few sunny days that we have had this spring. But I am thankful the weeds which poked their heads up here and there amidst our Timothy Hay, have all died away; so we knew the spray “took” and our hay is looking thick and beautiful with all this moisture we have been experiencing.

As for the hoeing and weed pulling I’ve had to do? That is much easier with the saturated soil….so I guess I won’t complain. My lawn is lush and green and my water bill is remaining low; at least for now. So no, I will not complain.

At least the garden is done and this year we will have the usual:
• Cucumbers
• Bush Beans
• Carrots
• Spring Onions
• Walla Walla’s,
• Radishes
• Beets
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Red Potatoes
• Corn
• Peas
• Basil
• Dill
• Cilantro
• And my beloved peppers – Jalepeno, Hotties, and Bells

We also added broccoli and cauliflower this time, at Rick's request.  We thought we might as well give them a try.

I love my garden and I get a certain satisfaction in doing it just the way my folks did theirs when I was growing up. Every year I wait until the snow is off that old mountain, because that is what my folks did, and their folks before them. I like to plant what, how and where they planted. It has to be Boston Pickling for my cucumbers and Walla Walla’s for my onions. When my peas are ready the first thing I will do, is sneak out and eat a few, fresh and raw from the pod, merely in honor of my childhood.

I love the weeding and the hoeing and the deep, clean smell of the freshly turned soil. Yes, I said clean; and it is! I love the sweet fresh smell from the basil, dill and cilantro, and I can’t wait to find that first little cucumber hiding underneath a leaf on that prickly vine.

I will make pickles for my family using my mom’s secret dill pickle recipe; and we will have corn on the cob at our bar-b-ques. One of the things I look forward to most is making salsa for my nephews. Only because they love it soooo much and always let me know how much they appreciate it. That is the greatest satisfaction of all: when someone really appreciates it. It’s a tradition now, to bring them salsa every summer.

Ahhh, then there’s the fair. How I love selecting just the right vegetable to enter in our county fair. I love getting up bright and early on the day scheduled to bring in our vegetables and searching until I find just exactly what is needed so that I might bring home that blue ribbon. Why is that so much fun for me? I don’t know; but it surely is. It’s not just about trying to win a blue ribbon, though. I look forward to the smiling faces of the helpers; the joking, good nature of Mr. Jack, and I love checking out all the vegetables that people are so proud and excited over. 

A highlight for me is going to the fairgrounds when the flowers are all in bloom and there’s a bit of silence present that is very noticeable because of the contrast when the crowds will appear. It’s just a warm, peaceful feeling that for some reason settles over me and reminds me of when I was a kid and I thought all things were good.

The gardening is on and I am ready! I will get up early and hoe before it gets hot; and I will faithfully weed and water and check to see how things are "coming along". It won't be long before I will be snatching a carrot and surprising our new horse Skeeter with it.  He hasn't learned that yet; but he will.  On summer mornings, I will walk barefoot out through the dewey grass, and wander among the rows just to experience my gardening joy.  I will be happy I did it just the way I did it.  Then, I will pick and snap, husk and dig.  I will blanche and freeze, pickle and can; and much too soon I will find myself at the county fair.