Friday, June 05, 2009

Small Harvests


The first harvest of the year was pulled from my small garden last weekend. Beautiful deep red radishes adorned our evening salad, the white zesty crunchiness tantalizing the senses.

Are you growing a garden this year? Ours is small, the radishes almost finished, lettuce coming to fruition, Walla Walla sweet onions growing beside green onions, pea's climbing small stakes and herbs scenting the air around them.

When we were growing up, we had a large garden. Dad was the gardener and he would section off pieces of the garden for each of us kids where we would be able to plant anything of our choosing. I'm sure our spots weren't that big, but to me they seemed huge. Like I could plant and grow to my hearts content. I remember choosing corn, potatoes and pumpkins, which were grown from seeds. What a thrill it was to mound that dirt up, building the hill to plant those large cream-colored pumpkin seeds in and happy happy day when the first green tendril of vine pushed it's way through the rich brown dirt to worship the summer sun.

I am still that little girl, spending time each day bent over my little herb garden and flower beds, willing the seedlings to emerge from their earthly beds. Sweet sweet summertime!


11 comments:

Jeni said...

My son-in-law here decided to convert the kids old sandbox that he built a couple years ago into a garden -a vegetable garden no less. It's not all that large -maybe 8x8 foot or something like that. He got some top soil mixed with some kind of mulch and got it all smoothed over and last week, I planted a few things. Wouldn't you just know it the very night after I had planted a couple rows of stuff, we got hit with a big rainstorm and I was figuring everything would get washed up and into one little corner or something. I did see that the beans probably will not fare very well as many of them did get washed up. However, Friday a.m., I went out to take a look at it and I see the lettuce is starting to come up as well as the beets too. And, I see a couple little green things poking through where I planted cucumbers so maybe all it not lost after all. It's still early too -the seeds were just put in there a week ago yesterday so will keep you posted if anything comes of this venture. Cross your fingers!
I know one thing, it sure won't ever compete with any gardens my grandpa had back when I was a kid. He planted just about anything you could plant except for broccoli! Said our growing season here wasn't long enough for that stuff or something like that.

Love Bears All Things said...

What a lovely post! Yes, we have a small in ground garden for the first time in many years. It will get bigger each year, I'm sure. Before moving, all we could have was container gardens. We have squash, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, corn and okra. I am so eager, as always for that first tomatoe sandwich. Loved the description you used. My parents always had a large garden and we worked very hard in it. The rows were always very long. I didn't like the weeding, at all.
Mama Bear

Twisted Fencepost said...

I can soooo relate to this post. I miss being along side my Dad. He taught me so much. More than I think he realized.

Shelby said...

I don't have a garden this year. I really wish I did. Reaaaaaaaaaallllllly.

Adrienne said...

Hi, Paula - Your radishes are gorgeous. I'm raising a garden this year. My sweetheart has always been the gardener but I'm learning from him and doing it this time. He built wonderful raised beds for me. I need to plant more things this weekend. My radishes are getting bigger - had a few small ones last night so I could thin them a bit. Isn't it fun to harvest and enjoy the flavor of things from your own garden? ~Adrienne~

mtnchild said...

Your garden is lovely!

This year I have a tiny, itty bitty garden. Probably 2 x 3 feet!

I have green beans, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The soil is very rocky so next year I will do a raised bed about 4 x 4. That will grow quite a bit for me since I'm by myself.

Yvette

Adrienne said...

We had intended to do a garden this year but decided the best spot was too far from water ... so we had a plumber come out to give us a quote for a line ... let's just say it's in the 5 year plan! We do have basil, cilantro (which we never seem to have much luck with), thyme, rosemary, and oregano going ... I'm getting hungry!

Unknown said...

I remember getting a peice of the garden & was so excited when my Marigolds bloomed.

Mary said...

Paula,

Yes, the boys and I are growing a small garden this year. The lettuce and green onions are coming along great. We are just planting some veggies now, as our season is way later than yours. We would have liked to have grown corn, but with the resident raccoons and no room, thought better of it.

Nice visiting with you again. I've really missed you.

Blessings,
Mary

Sherri said...

We have tomatoes only this summer...here in Florida, we grow them year round except for July and August when it is too hot.

The radishes are beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I had a garden too! I remember planting poppies once. My garden was about 2x6 feet.

Here in Atlantic Canada, I have not even put my tomato plants in yet but I soon will. My beans are just showing their heads now.