What's growing on here.

This morning I went out to watch my husband water the garden and then I got inspired. I love being in our backyard so much so that it makes me sad to know that this is not our forever home. We love our house, our garden, our new friends, our church, but the summer heat in south Texas is a real killer. I miss being cold at night, and seeing my breath fog the air, and frost on the window panes, and rain. I want to show you how our garden is doing. I am very happy with it so far this year.

We are going to start with some flowers.

I have sunflowers growing randomly around the fence line. They are always so friendly.

I thought this was an ugly weed, so did my husband. He pulled out a bunch from around the yard.

Not a weed, a poppy. They're there to remind us that beauty comes from the inside.

Isn't she lovely. Maybe I am like a poppy.

Julia Child's Rose. Well it was the only way to get Julia Child over for dinner.

I seriously love this man!

Ever wonder if onions flower? They do.

It starts out looking like a secret and then it just lets go and becomes free.

We can all learn to become free from an onion.

Would you believe that this is part of a berry patch?

The nasturtiums (the red flowers) went wild!

I love all of the flowers around the yard. Doesn't this make you smile a little?

It grows here.

The yellow flowers are from the lettuce saying hello to the purple roses.

75% off rose that we took a chance on. After only a few months it is almost as tall as the fence that is six feet tall. Happy? Yes we are.

 Now on to the fruits and vegetables growing on. I promise I did not take a picture of everything and I am not posting all of the pictures I did take.

Grapes. I can not wait until these turn red, or are they purple. If I even see them before the kids do, which is unlikely because they check the grapes daily.

Last year our tomatoes were sad so this year we planted a lot of tomatoes. At least 20 plants maybe more. I didn't count as I was saying can you fit more in the garden. My husband says, "Maybe."

We have one single orange!

Mexican Limes

Eggplants and peppers. Warning we may have planted lots of peppers.

That little flower might mean an eggplant.

Looking at the tomatoes is like the best egg hunt ever. Can you find the green tomatoes?

Here is a few.

And a few more over here.

The first red tomatoes! Eek. I picked them and let the boys each have one.

This pretty baby is looking for trouble.

Jalapenos. Salsa anyone?

Cayenne peppers are starting to turn red at the tips.

Banana peppers. Come on baby do you do more then dance?

These are lilac bell peppers.

Green bell peppers

More tomatoes. Oh yes.

Yellow bell pepper. Hopefully.

Basil in the middle

Banana peppers

Poblano pepper. Think Chili rellenos.

Peanuts!

We also have cantaloupes, watermelons, asparagus, artichokes, hardy kiwi, and so much more planted. I want to encourage you to grow your own food. Maybe just a tomato plant in a pot, maybe just a few herbs on the back porch, or anything your heart desires. Let me tell you there is nothing more rewarding as making a meal with the food you have grown in the backyard.

I hope your day is filled with the wonder of growth, Love and Laughter. Be well my friends.

Texas in February

Recently, while my friends up north are dealing with snow I discovered a new love for Texas in February. My roses are blooming on three out of ten of my bushes. It is exciting to see something so beautiful in the winter months. I know this lovely weather has a time stamp on it and soon we will be having hot and dry summer from April through October. I took some pictures for you, so that you can have fresh flowers too.

I think this is called Easy Living.

It is an easy laid back rose. Ready to lighten the mood anytime.

This bee wanted to be in the picture.

He was very busy. He makes it seem like spring.

When we bought this rose we thought it was white.

Turns out to be pink.

As it unfolds the delicate fragrance floats around the room.

I love this rose.

I wish I could tell you that I won't post another blog on these roses but there is a good chance that I will. I hope you enjoyed your roses today. I would send you a whole bouquet if I could, just to see you smile.

I hope that your day is filled with love and laughter. Be well my friends.

Roses are red...

When we were picking out my roses and there was one red one called Love. I wanted it but the other red one ended up in my basket. I am in the middle of dinner and I looked out my window to see my husband planting my roses and I realized I do not need a rose called love. My heart and my life is filled with love.

I have a couple of rose bushes in the front. One that is blooming and one that is just happy to be alive. When we were headed out to go look at some olive trees my sweet husband picked a pretty flower for me. This one is called Easy living (or something very similar). I am feeling very happy and totally content.

I just wanted to share my flower with you. Smile my friend you are loved. If I could I would send you a pretty flower in a little vase just to see you smile, because it lights up the room.

I hope that you have a relaxing weekend filled with love and luaghter. Be well my friends.



Garden News

I am excited to show you what is growing on in the garden. First thing first the new additions to our garden. When we went to the local nursery to look for new trees, (we want to add a pecan, lemon, persimmon, and more pomegranates for our hedge row) for once Rob did not find anything he wanted and we came home with three half priced roses. I happily told him that they would add some beauty, and attract bees for the vegetables.

This has the sweetest smelling flowers!

This is an Olympian Rose.

This is a pink promise.

Let's just say I fell in love with this rose and I have never been so happy to receive flowers.

This is not where they will be planted, well maybe we will plant the pink one here so that I can open the window and have a sweet breeze to fill the house.

I hardly ever get flowers but when I do I am glad they are alive.

Sad news comes from the garden. Rob pulled out the melon plants. They were covered in aphids. Did you know Ants farm them? Once the ants brought them over to the melon vines they exploded. We planted them to late in the season. We learned a lesson and hopefully we will apply it next year.

Zucchini is still growing well. The squash are slowing down. I am incredibly happy with all the squash I have gotten to feed to my family.

I was surprised to find this lovely yellow squash this morning.

I think we will be able to have at least one more meal made from garden squash.

The boys may get an acorn squash before the growing season ends.

Jelly bean tomato, with a side of beets please. This little jelly bean tomato has flowers which means the boys may get a couple of tomatos after all.

I think these are called purple hull beans. Rob planted them with the squash. They are kind of sweet. So we have decided to plant a whole bed of these next year.

Butternut squash! It is a little bitty one but it will taste just as good as any. I am sure. We had two bigger ones but the boys attacked them and throw them over the fence to hide what they had done.

These are pie pumpkins.

I am currently dreaming of pumpkin pie.

Lots of pumpkin pie.

When Rob pulled out one our amaranth plants he shook out the seeds along our fence and two of those little seeds took root! God is good. I love a surprise.

I think that this a purple potato plant. We planted potatoes in the spring and we thought we had lost them but here they are making a wonderful entrance.

We planted more than a dozen different pepper plants and the Rats ate them all. These two some how came back. We may not get any peppers but it does add more greenery to the fence line.

Purple asparagus. This is another plant we thought was gone but it is a true picture of perseverance. It struggles because I often forget to water them but some how it keeps trying to grow.  

One day these little purple asparagus will turn into something truly wonderful. They may even make us a meal in a few years.

Pineapple pear flowers.

We have struggled with fire blight on our pear trees. The Bartlett pear is a lost cause.

Here is hope on a branch.

We spent the summer fighting the battle of tomato's. We finally gave up surrendering to the harsh elements.

We ignored these black cherry tomatoes

Now it is completely covered by little green tomatoes

Sometimes the lessons you can learn in the garden are not just when to plant. This year I have learned more about God's love, and his plan for us. I have no doubt that God is a loving God. I can see that he wants us to have hope, to persevere even when it seems as if there is no way to survive.



Miracles happen everyday, sometimes we don't see them because we are so busy doing what needs to be done. These small miracles are there and it is easy to see them in the garden but I have to wonder if I am missing some that happen in everyday life. I know God is with me and my family. I hope that I will continue to grow in his light.

I hope that your week is filled with small Miracles, Love and Laughter. Be well my friends.