A Walk through my Garden in May

What a glorious day!  Ah, the sun was shining and there was an autumnal crispness in the air which made for perfect gardening weather...after perusing a Country Living magazine with a cup of coffee in hand, I was inspired to step into my garden and see about doing some weeding, sowing some seeds and basking in the glory of our Lord's incredible creation...

I discovered my cherry tomatoes had developed what I believe to be black rot, so I sadly pulled them out and cleared the bed, sowing carrot seeds as well as California poppies in their place.  I did think it was a bit late in the season for tomatoes...but they popped up one day and grew so swiftly I simply couldn't bear to disturb them!

I spent the morning enjoying the sunshine whilst thinning red onions and pulling carrots for supper.  I  harvested the last of my bush beans and had a nibble of fresh peas - could anything be more delightful for a light snack?

After a some wonderful outdoor work, I came inside to be greeted by the appetising aroma of freshly baked bread, lovingly made by my sister...did I mention she baked cookies as well?  I think it would be quite fitting to say it was a Little House kind of day...{{smiles}}

In my opinion, fresh farm bread, spread thickly with butter, topped with sliced avocado and chopped fresh greens (lettuce and arugula), from the garden of course, made for a deliciously light lunch...  Surely there is nothing so deeply satisfying as working steadily in the garden and being able to eat the fruits of your labour?

I love what Thomas Jefferson wrote about the garden...

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden." 

Now for a walk around my garden...  Late last year we moved our vegetable garden up from the below our house to the side where the ground is a bit more level and is easier to fence off the garden from the chickens.  Interestingly enough, the success rate of the crops have increased as the garden is further from the plantation of trees near our house.  I have also found it easier to keep my hand on the garden and the weeds under control.  I had to add plenty of compost to the soil as this was new ground, and since then I have rotated my crops and harvested plenty of healthy vegetables...

Feverfew sweetly blooming... 

The first peas of the season...

My garden has somewhat of a ''jungle'' aspect to it, but I do try to keep it fairly structured otherwise I find I lose plants in amongst the stronger greenery and struggle to keep up with succesive sowing...but I do love the slight rustic appeal of a jungle style garden and love to grow flowers in between vegetables and salad greens.

Fresh homegrown carrots...surely nothing can compare...?

Calendula blooming beautifully among the peas...

A garden in progress; ever changing...

Arugula growing happily next to healthy kale and sorrel...

In case you are wondering about the tyres...I will just say that they are not my first choice.  When I think of my dream garden of someday, I imagine rows and rows of healthy vegetables; the ground thickly covered with straw and compost.  But...we have moles here...lots of them, and I cannot begin to tell you how many days I have shed tears on discovering my plants uprooted and the ground all soft beneath my feet.  Thus, the tyres keep out the moles as there is a second one buried below the surface with shade net at the bottom. 

Coriander...I am the only one in our family to actually enjoy the flavour of this strong herb...and I always like to keep a fresh supply on hand as I think it compliments a spicy dish so well!

Lovely leeks...oh, I can taste a leek and potato soup...

Red butter lettuce...

...Truly, my heart is happiest when tending the little patch of earth I call my garden...

~

How does your garden grow, dear reader...?