Last Year's Lettuce?

It appears that last year's lettuce has reseeded itself.  While I was weeding the potatoes, I noticed what looked like dandelions.  I pulled up, and realized that it was anything but a dandelion.  It was heirloom head lettuce!  I haven't planted that variety this year.  I only put in one variety of lettuce, and that was in another part of the garden.  Somehow, this variety has been waiting in seed form all this time.  How I'm going to manage lettuce amongst the potatoes, I have no idea.  I'm delighted at the challenge.  So even though this year's variety didn't develop, I'll still have home grown lettuce for this summer's salads.

The carrots continue to amaze.  My beets are also progressing.  And the peas!  They've gone to flower, even the plants that are still short.  I'll have pods in a matter of days.  I think I'll have a nice amount of cilantro.  Perhaps the first cucumber plant will be the only one I have this year.  I don't know if I'll be able to plant more basil in the last of spring.  I think it's my only disappointment with the garden.  All things considered, I can't complain of just one disappointment (and that's not even too late, either.)

At last, the grapes:I am entranced by the beauty of my lush vines.  I can't quite believe how my prayers have been answered here at the Cottage.  They have both prospered so well.  The north vine is heavy with green grape bunches.  I hesitate to think what will happen in the future with them attracting wasps.  We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  For now, I'll enjoy the promise fulfilled.  We do indeed have a cottage vineyard that actually produces grapes.

Surviving Cilantro

Just when I thought that all of the herbs had failed to sprout, I discovered burgeoning cilantro.  I'll have six plants, so it appears.  My garden now seems to be a greater success than I had anticipated.  I have space for more lettuce, and I'll try the herbs again.  I'll keep trying the lime basil until I have results.  I'm so excited over this variety.  The vineyard still needs some flowering plants to attract bees.

Replanting Cucumbers and Emerging Carrots

One of the cucumbers that I planted a few weeks back is established.  I expect a cucumber or two by early summer.  The down side is that there is no doubt that my four year old decimated the other mounds.  I am reconciled to replanting, and hoping that it's not too late in the season.  I adore heirloom cucumbers, and would love to show these off to the neighbors.  Plus, it's one of the most cost effective plantings that I do in the garden.  With cucumbers, I feel that I'm really getting a savings from the family budget.

The carrots have surprised me with their resilience.  Not only did I get one or two, I have two full rows to admire.  I planned successive plantings anyway, as appropriate to the species.  Now, I can look forward to carrots all summer and fall.  Real baby carrots will be a delight as well.  I don't recall the last time I had the real thing, as opposed to the mechanically processed baby carrots from the supermarket.

The herbs and lettuce continue to disappoint.  I hope that a second planting or a planting later in 2013 will be more profitable to the Cottage Vineyard table.

The grapes on the northern vine continue to stun me.  I am blown away by its progress.  I am inspired to save all those seeds, to have a full working vineyard, years from now.  There's nothing like a taste of success to inspire one to work all the harder.

Peas, and All Their Glory

The peas are growing up the fence with a rapid pace.  I asked my four year old what was his favorite vegetable from the garden.  "Peas!!!" He squealed with delight.  I asked him what his second favorite was.  "Carrots!" was his reply.  We discussed how wonderful it is to grow our vegetables in the garden.  His interest now is plums.  While that would be wonderful for the vineyard to have plums flavoring the soil (and apricots, too,) I don't think he realizes how much longer he'd have to wait for plums compared to peas.  Perhaps I won't have to wait too long myself for such joys, but it won't happen soon.  Trees aren't going to grow in our tiny space without sacrificing the children's play space.

Reviewing Quotes from Mary Wollestonecraft

I spent some time doing a writing exercise this morning, exposition on quotes from Mary Wollestonecraft.  It's an old exercise from school, to get the creative juices flowing.  I was amazed to discover how my opinion on matters had changed since I had originally transcribed the quotes.  I didn't write at all the opinion that I would have expected.  I have changed and grown this year.  I'm shocked at the judgement and lack of charity I had expected to write.  Now, I see life from a more compassionate, more loving point of view.  I'm eager to make new friends to help me grow even further.  I'm not looking for friends to reinforce my own points of view.  I am humbled at how much more love I have to give.  I am humbled by how much more I have to learn.  I reject my smug condemnation of others, that I embraced even a short few months back.  The exercised proved more than just pre-writing creative work.  It reflected a position back to myself that I would no longer claim.  I wish now to approach life from a place of love and faith.

Perhaps I will post my exercise from this morning.  Perhaps I will use this blog for future exercises.  Either way, I see that writing as fitting in here with the gardening posts.  It's all part of my journey back to the fold and back home.  It's part of my journey learning to love others, as I have been loved.

An Array of Seedlings

So far in the garden, we have over 30 pea seedlings, about 17 beet seedlings and two cucumber seedlings.  The new grape vine has yet to sprout.  The herbs appear decimated by the children.  Last year's spinach plant is thriving, as is a collard that somehow survived my eradication.  The beets from last year are thick and  bushy.  I didn't eat them all.  A plant or two has gone to flower, so I hope to have seeds for myself this year. My garlic chives are doing alright.

I'll be replanting the herbs, carrots and more lettuce.  I can tell if it sprouted or if those are weeds.  Regardless, the lettuce and carrots are best with successive plantings, and I prefer my herbs to have successive plantings.