Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of
strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something
infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature— the assurance
that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.
- Rachel Carson
I have discovered that gardening is wonderful therapy for all of life's disappointments, challenges, and sorrows. As Autumn takes center stage, it's time to give Summer a proper send-off with a garden update.
Our garden is like another (albeit, uncovered) room in our house. We decorate, lounge, entertain, and eat it in.
I took a mosaics class and made stepping stones this summer.
Chris and I really enjoy our fire pit; feels like outdoor camping, with all the amenities of home (literally)!
We had lots of flowers in bloom this year.
Our fruits and veggies garden prospered amazingly well, given our wet, cold Spring and thus the late start we had in planting.
Our cleared garden space.
The fruits of our labor.
Our corn was planted late, but the husks are still developing so we will wait and see.
Wondering if the corn will make it before the frosts come....
Our pumpkins and squash unfortunately were taken by what we suspect was a fungus and did not make it. However, we DID succeed in our crops of tomatoes, snap peas, tri-color beans, radishes, carrots, spinach, arugula, broccoli, rhubarb, and zucchini.
Our little pea patch bounty.
Our fruits of strawberries, Italian plums/prunes, and pears also flourished.
We had SOOOO many pears for such a tiny tree, I was forced to make pear jam ... and plum pear jam ... and blueberry pear jam ... and peach pear jam ... and blackberry pear jam ... and pear bread ... and honey walnut pear pie (a.k.a. "angry squirrel pie").... You get the picture. Plum butter and spicy blueberry peach jam was also made. We picked blackberries with the Rodgers' clan on the Olympic Peninsula and made blackberry jam, too. And I was given apples and crabapples from neighbors and made apple butter and crabapple jelly.
One of our many resident squirrels, now without plums and pears, forced to dine upon a walnut from the next-door-neighbors' walnut tree. Thus the name "angry squirrel pie" was born.
From Left to Right: Plum Pear Jam, Blueberry Pear Jam, Pear Jam, Peach Pear Jam, another Pear Jam, and, in the front, Spicy Blueberry Peach Jam.
Crabapple Jelly
Soooo ... now you all know what you're getting as holiday gifts this year! (We're now working on planting our Winter garden, so stay tuned!)
