Summer Harvest

I experienced my first tropical storm.  I thought it was fascinating to watch the trees sway and bend as they did.  And, amazing to see how much water could dump from the sky.  How can a cloud hold so much?  It's miraculous.  I love the rain.  Unfortunately, my garden's experience wasn't as good as mine.  Beryl came through and drowned my zucchini and pumpkin.  I suppose that is gardening for you.  Or, life, for that matter.  We just can't control everything.

 But then, there are other things that are growing beautifully.  My blueberries are ripening.  The youngest member of our family tends to pick them off before the rest of us get the chance.  The harvest isn't large.  The bushes are still young.  Nonetheless, it's working!  We have blueberries!
 
The sweet 100 tomato plants, which sit in pots in my driveway, are also ripening.  They give us something to snack on when we're out with the boys, riding bikes.  Also, our yummy sweet peppers are are turning shades of orange, yellow, and red.  I keep finding orange peppers, half eaten in the yard.  Someone loves the oranges ones best.  Hmmm...  wonder who the culprit is....

Need to get away?

Here is a place we like to visit on Sunday afternoons.  It's part of the University of North Florida's campus.  It's a beautiful place.  We love to come here to "get away" and absorb ourselves in Nature.  My children eat it up.  Here there is water to dip your toes into, birds to watch, native plants to admire, and huge turtles to feed.  There is actually much more to do.  But this a typical afternoon visit for our family.

There are several trails, each unique.  Above Lake Oneida is a zip line.  My boys think they want to try it.  It had been a few months since our last visit, and when we arrived we found a newly constructed ropes course.  And, it is  HUGE.  Another thing my children think they want to try.  The organic garden is amazing.  I could spend some time there, in awe of the large healthy plants growing, and observing all of the different structures and materials used to build the garden. 

I love this idea -- the canoe full of growing things.  And look at that nice melon in the corner.  I would have to say, it is growing quite nicely.  ;-)

 Those little tadpoles are determined to get away.  But we are more determined!

I think we'll be returning soon. 

Caine's Arcade

Speaking of sprouting GOODNESS...

This is a beautiful story about one man's kindness to a little boy.  What a rippling effect his kindness has had on that boy, and all those who hear his story.  You can also go here for more on Caine's Arcade.

* sorry about the size of the player.  If you look to the bottom right corner of the player you can click on the youtube symbol to get the bigger picture. You can also go to the website listed above to see it.

Spring/Summer Garden

Here's our game plan for Spring and Summer.  In the front yard we have four large pots of sweet 100 tomatoes and I already see about three dozen baby tomatoes growing!  Florida's spring is short.  It seems that it jumps from cool to hot quickly, not much in between.  Because of this there are some things that are better planted in early March.  Tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins... to name a few. 

We have blueberries!  Their spring green color is beginning to deepen to a pinkish-purple.  I haven't had to worry about birds yet.  I was told by an employee from the nursery we frequently visit that by having half a dozen blueberry bushes we should have enough to share with the birds.  We shall see.   Now-- if only I can keep little fingers away from them I might be able to see them mature to their deep, frosty blue.  It is hard for him to resist plucking off those little berries.

Not much success here with strawberries.  Something is eating them; most likely slugs.  I'm looking for

a natural slug repellant.  Any ideas?  I've read all kinds of things from a cup of beer [apparently slugs love it!], to sharp egg shells, sandpaper [another one too painful to cross], to sprinkling powdered ginger around the plants.

But the blueberries, sweet peas, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, and herbs are thriving.

good ol' fashioned fun

We took the two oldest boys to the Clay County Fair last weekend.

I'm from the Seattle area and grew up going to the
Puyallup Fair --  a fair which continually ranks
in the top ten largest fairs in the U.S. 

It's a doozy of a fair.
If you ever get the chance you should --
"Do the Puyallup."

The sights, sounds, and smells of the Clay County Fair
made me nostalgic for my old home.  This one wasn't as large,
but definitely made for a fun evening with my family.

The riding lawn mower race was a hit with the boys.
They covered their ears the entire time,
but just couldn't walk away from the show. 

The birds were noisy, too.  ;-)

If I remember anything from that night,
please let it be the expressions the boys wore
while being whipped around the corner
in their tiny race car.
Priceless.

 They ran from ride to ride, sampling lemonade, corn dogs,
and the fair's ever popular -- funnel cake.

It was nice to leave the baby home with a babysitter.
Just the two of us and the two of them.  They loved it.
And, we loved that they loved it.

It ended with light sabers clashing in the back of the van.
I'd have to say the night was a success.

Out with the old, in with the new

I pulled everything from our two big garden beds.  It's time for new things to grow; it's time for a fresh start.

My middle son doesn't like when I pull things from the ground or when I cut branches from the trees.  He tells me enthusiastically: Mom, they want to live!! And then they will be happy!  Maybe his way of thinking makes you laugh, as it does for me, and yet, I really do admire his love for everything alive and growing.

A part of me didn't want to pull the lettuce that was forming seeds, not so much because I wanted to save the seeds for next year, more so because they're doing what they were made to do.  That plant was fulfilling the measure of its creation, making new seeds for new plants to grow. Nature confirms to me daily that God exists.

The boys love to "help" in the garden.  I am currently reading the book How do you Tuck in a Superhero?, by Rachel Balducci.  It's a woman's stories and experience of raising five sons.  And I now have proof that digging in the dirt is an inborn trait that the male species carries.  I bet you can't guess what my three boys are doing at this very minute?  Yes.  Seriously.  They are digging.

sprouting goodness

This blog tends to be about Nature and my personal gardening experiences, however, the idea of sprouting goodness can be about all sorts of things.  


I am a mother, therefore, much of my thoughts and daily activities are centered around my children.  The little people at my house are just that -- little.  However, their needs are endless and the energy they demand from me is often great. 


Some days can be overwhelming, especially those days soon after a baby is born.  This weekend I was visiting with some of my husband's family.  His Aunt was telling me about her daughter and her daughter-in-law, both with newborn babies.  The stories she shared with me sounded so familiar... Days when the house is just a mess (this seems to be the case at my place, rather than the exception!); other days when you and/or your children are still in your pajamas and your husband walks in the door, returning from work; or, when you're so incredibly sleep-deprived but you have to keep going; kids arguing and fighting; the pile of laundry which is resembling Everest more and more with each passing day; and dishes forever in the sink. And these aren't even the greatest of problems.  The children and their personal challenges are always changing.


So, here's what we came up with.  My Aunt, Grandmother, and I laughed as we shared stories and we decided that your day can be counted as a success as long as --  

The children have been fed, their diapers changed. 


That 'to do' list will always be there.  Patience is a virtue which can sometimes be defined as e.n.d.u.r.e.  Not every problem has an answer.  But on those crazy days when you're feeling overwhelmed -- if the kids' bellies are full, their diapers are dry and clean, and everyone's relatively content, then it's ok.  Not everyone has little kids, or kids for that matter, but you get the idea.  Don't sweat the small stuff.  People are much more important than things.

blueberry blossoms

The University of Florida IFAS extension offers an informative web page on growing blueberries.  All your blueberry questions can be answered here!

Allow me to give you a few tidbits of information that I've gleaned from UF's helpful website.

Did you know?  Blueberries are native to North America.  It's true.

blueberry flowers

The Florida woods and swamps contain at least eight naturally growing blueberry species.  There isn't an area in Florida that is without wild blueberries, unless the soil pH is above 6.


If you are a Florida resident -- rabbiteye and southern highbush varieties are what you want. We are growing three different rabbiteye blueberries in our yard: tifblue, powderblue, and premier.  Cross pollination is needed to maximize blueberry bearing.  You must have at least two different types of rabbiteyes or, two different southern highbush berries for cross pollination.

Our latest addition - the four small boxes (one box raspberries, the other three blueberries).  All are a bit bare right now as it is "winter."

Blueberries require and thrive on a soil pH of 4.0–5.5.  I used a simple and inexpensive tool to check the soil pH.  Manure is a no-no for blueberries as it raises the pH.  Our soil is made up of about 1/2 top soil, 1/2 peat moss.

baby blueberry

We should see some berries this Summer!  Let's see.

Happy Lovers' Day!

Lovely lavender, just in time for V Day.

A friend of mine shared a delightful recipe using rosemary.  One I've been meaning to try.  Mmm... Thank you, Katy.

The kids don't care much for these.  That's ok.  More for the adults.

 The menu: 

Lavender from the herb garden to make the table pretty.   

Rosemary Peach Lemonade

Tuscan Roasted Garlic Bread

parmesan cheese

green salad

strawberries dipped in chocolate

A special dinner with the people I  L<3VE  most. 

Pinchy

I never mean for so much time to go by between posts.  November, December, and January were all very busy work months for my husband, inevitably making them busier for me as well!  He's a good man, working so hard for our family.  We miss him so much when work calls, but always make up our time with him later -- lots of bike riding, digging in the dirt, and wrestling on the floor over the weekends.  That's what it's like with a house full of boys.

Can you count three people in this picture?

My fall garden wasn't as successful as I'd hoped it would be.  Everything began growing and then suddenly stopped.  The things that have grown appear healthy, yet they have halted progression.  Our "winter weather" has been very different this year.  Although our winters are known to be warm compared to most of the country, this year has been exceptionally warm, leaving us with maybe two nights where we briefly hit freezing.  I think my garden is confused, as my lettuce is beginning to bolt and go to seed.  I suppose there isn't much I can do about this.

Petite, new leaves are budding on some trees, as if Spring is on its way, while other trees still hold leaves of red.  And then, some are still bare -- as they should be in Winter.

Today we planted six blueberry bushes + a couple raspberry bushes.  We hope to have lots of berries this summer.  I'll post pictures of them soon.  Until then, here are some pictures from our family trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia.  It was just what we needed!  Something for everyone to enjoy.  Giant oak trees, their gnarled limbs strewn with spanish moss; beaches with driftwood trees; crabs hiding under rocks; fresh air; room to run; peace.  We like to take our kids places where we don't have to say over and over Don't touch that.  Wait. Stop. Don't.  The rules on the beach: Stay where we can see you and don't go in the water.

Otherwise kids, BE FREE!!  The little ones love the room to run and freedom to explore. They eat it up. 

This is Pinchy.