2008 Summer Garden Tour

One of the best things about the house we are renting is the garden. Our landlords have a garden spot that they've been composting for years and years, as well as grape vines, raspberry bushes, and strawberry plants. Adam and I share an appetite for gardening that was well satiated this year. We did some work, but mostly we just watched the garden day after day as it miraculously transformed itself from a big dirt box to a lush green garden.

 

Raspberries--kids loved eating these.

 

View of the grapes leaves and "baby" grapes. The grape vines are prolific and find their way across the fence and into the neighbors pine tree. 

We were delighted to find some celery plants growing in the garden.

Made some pickles from our cucumbers.

Another pleasant surprise--watermelon. Great look, little flavor.

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Adam always wants to have fresh herbs, so we planted basil and cilantro.

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We planted 5 or so tomato plants. 

Our twin pumpkins.

 

The Andersen family gave us four pumpkin plants. We put them in and they soon outgrew their garden corner and spread to cover the lawn. We harvested 6 pumpkins; we'll be carving them tonight.

Most of our tomato plants spontaneously came up throughout the garden. Adam transplanted t welcome volunteers to the spot on the left corner of this photo. Bush beans are pictured on the right corner of this photo.

 Picked plenty of beans that are now in the freezer.

The Kids' Garden

Emily and Michael scattered a lot of sunshine, seeds, and water  in this corner of the garden. Lots of stuff came up, mostly volunteers.

This beautiful plant (I'm not even sure what it's called) was from a seed that Emily planted during a sunbeam class : )

We'll be moving next summer, so we may not have a garden. We'll really miss it, but for now we're ready for the break this winter will provide. Until then, we still have green grapes to turn into slime juice, and a lot of green tomatoes that we need to can as soon as they decide to turn red.

Our little men

We love our two little boys. Our big boy would tell you that he loves monster trucks, race cars, cars, and my little ponies, which he adds after hearing Emily say the same. Our baby loves to laugh and smile with his family, chew on toys, move, and eat whatever we put into his mouth. He's still so little, but so much bigger than when he first joined our family. 

Like my Gramps would say, we ought to put a brick on their heads so they stop growing! Their sweetness dusts our lives when we look into their dancing eyes and endearing smiles, and when we steady their jumping feet and hug their little frames. 

We can look back and laugh at our little mishaps, like the time I put Robbie down for nap and returned down stairs to discover Michael spreading jam with a spoon on our living room armchair. It didn't take but a moment for him to get into mischief. We also look forward and marvel that someday, they will grow up to be men. Every day, they are getting bigger. Knowing that makes the present all the more precious.

"Love ... little boys every day. Little boys are so precious."

Agnes Rand in Where the Huckleberries Grow