When my mother had company come over for a quilting bee or a family dinner, there was a delightful tradition known as walking the gardens. The ladies in their summer dresses would gather at one end of the first flower bed and slowly walk around the beds and gardens enjoying the cool of the evening and the aromatic scents lofting through the dusk. The musky smell of the sweet corn tasseling and the faint perfume of Mom’s favorite roses made the stroll even more enjoyable. It wasn’t easy growing hybrid tea roses with seven kids running everywhere but she loved working those flower beds and gardens. There is a secret place of peace in a well-loved garden, a place where you can rest your bones and soul on your favorite old garden bench.
I’m inviting you to join me to come walk the gardens with me this evening. I plant zinnias just for my sweetheart Jim. It is a happy memory of his granny’s gardens in Texas.
Yes, I know a few petals have bug tears but I picked this photo because it is how real life is ok beautiful but not perfect, a little frayed around the edges, a mysterious intricacy worthy of exploration.
Yes! The sweet potatoes are looking better now that the Japanese beetles’ hoards have made their annual appearance. I had to use Sevin Spray several times as the beetles all came at once this year and there was no way I could have handpicked that many bugs off the trees. The branches were laden with the horrific insects but the application of Sevin I got from Buchheit did the job. I followed the label’s instruction as to not use too much chemical. I only sprayed the trees and brushes that acted as a first line of defense so that the dreaded pests never made it in-mass to the vegetable gardens. Still no spray on the vegetables but only due to the applications of Sevin to the non-fruit bearing trees.
I have certainly enjoyed a much smaller garden this year. I am used to gardening for not only Jim and my needs but to have plenty to pass on to family and friends. Since we moved to the country, we have always had a truck patch like the photo here.
The decision to just work a small patch has been a source of pleasure as it is not overwhelming me with too much work or too much harvest to preserve. I guess it was past time to heed my own advice about not taking on more garden than you could reasonably handle.
My garden has gotten a double portion of overspray from the farmer applying weed killer to the soybeans but I was out working when he arrived so I quickly covered as much of the garden as possible, saving it from the worst of the attack. I didn’t cover all my pole beans and the evidence of the over-sprayed broad leaf weed killer is obvious. They are recovering but I am keeping an eye on them. Crop spraying should be over so I can relax and focus on gardening. I look forward to walking the garden with you again soon. Be blessed. Anne May
