Some very BIG and some very little things are happening simultaneously in our garden! How can that be you ask? Read on, we’ll explain (and show you) what we mean…
I love the change of seasons here in the Midwest and for me one of the best things about summer is the availability of fresh watermelon. There is nothing better than biting into a piece of the cool, sweet, juicy pink delight! So when we made the list of our favorite fruits and vegetables to plant, watermelon was on it. I was hopeful but not optimistic we would get any.
Earlier this week a friend was looking at the garden and asked: “What is this?” I looked and was going to say a little pumpkin, but to my great surprise it was a baby watermelon. And not just this one, there was a second one about half the size of the first. They look like they would be perfect for a fairy garden!!!! I hope they grow and ripen before the first frost.
Our baby fruits are the headliner for the “little things” happening in the garden this week!
Our pumpkins and squash are thinking outside of the box! They’re literally growing out of the garden, down the sides and sprawling as they please into the yard! Needless to say, cutting the grass around the eco garden has been adventurous. The sprawling plants are the front-page story of the “BIG things” happening in the garden this week!
Have you ever noticed that in the morning the orange pumpkin blossoms are open and pollinators abound? I didn’t know this until I observed it myself. Later in the morning/early afternoon they close up in a swirling fashion to guard their sweet nectar for the next day. Today I noticed and took photos of some bees in the center of one of the blossoms.
Our zucchini plant has 3 ready for harvest this afternoon, and the acorn squash has one small squash on the vine and already out of the box. This little one has a few more weeks of growing yet before we enjoy it. While checking on the zucchini this morning, I noticed we have 3 pickling cucumbers ready to be picked for dinner tonight along with several about the size of my pinkie.
Honestly the more I look, the more I see!!! Taking time to slow down and observe what is in front of me, especially in the garden is grounding (no pun intended). Can I carry that experience to other parts of the day and just be present? That’s the challenge, and I love that my garden is such a patient teacher.
Delightfully, we’re getting lots of cherry and sweet grape tomatoes, several harvest of beans but honestly we enjoy some of these treasures right off the vine! Farm to table is over-rated — I say garden to mouth is the best way to enjoy our fresh garden gifts.
