Distracted

Each and every day starts with the best of intentions to get out and work in the garden, but then the kids wake up. I look out our picture window at the raised beds while eating our oatmeal and think, "I WILL get out there, just after breakfast." This is always followed with getting ready and heading to preschool/ baby group/ library/ park/ play date. The van starts with the kids strapped in and I think, "Ugh. I WILL get to the garden when we get home." You know this part. The play date goes late and you come home with these crazy little beings who physically resemble your kids, but have lost their minds. Every ounce of your energy is used from deep within that reserve you have just to the left of your spine (that is where the extra mama energy is stored, just in case you were wondering) to get the beings to sleep so they can return from their nap as your delightful children again. Oh yes, and now it is time for the garden. Sometimes. My littlest one has a quick recharge on her battery.

So my little lady and I head out to the garden with the camera, of course, and I grab my gloves and start checking the barrels. Lots of green strawberries. This is good. We will need to put some netting over them this week if we plan to actually eat them when they ripen. Check.

The peas are growing, but no pods yet. No surprises. Despite our initial difficulties with this veggie of choice, I find myself wishing we had more of them growing.

Time to look under the first cloche. Nice growth. Oooh it has been awhile. Look at that lettuce tree. Hmmm. I guess we are having a large salad tonight.

Second cloche. Growth is happening here. Phew! We have spinach, of course. I am taking mental notes for the upcoming week's menu.

Then I hear giggles. I get distracted. I look. The gloves are removed. Now I am giggling; she is a cute one.

Next thing I know I am on the ground looking at things from her perspective and there is drool running down my cheek. It is not my own.

We are rolling around on her baby quilt and she is "talking" to me. Then I send a rapid fire of kisses on to her squishy little cheeks and she smiles. So, I HAVE to do it again. 20 minutes passes and then 45. Sorry garden. I have a little sack of sugar to enjoy.

Yes, I love my garden and these days it isn't as marvelous as it could be. I get distracted, quite easily to be honest. I get distracted by flower trails and giggles, drool and new perspectives, and important little milestones that dart in front of me without warning.

Someday Garden, I promise to focus on you. Right now, I need to focus on my distractions.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

This week we have had rain and more rain to go with the rain we already had. Welcome to summer in the Pacific Northwest where you grab your polar fleece from the hook before you head to the Farmer's Market.


We are overwhelmed with green right now. This week we have been harvesting broccoli, zucchini, yellow zucchini, snap peas, lettuce and onions. Our shelling peas are just getting started and we now have green CHERRY TOMATOES. Thank goodness. I thought the day would never come. Tiny little patty pan are starting to emerge as well as some of our pumpkins. We have one tagless squash that is going gangbusters and I have absolutely no idea what it is. Time will tell. 


For a year that I vowed to avoid tomatoes, due to the heartbreak they caused last year, we have about 7 plants that have come up as volunteers and just popped up several weeks ago. I am leaving them and attempting to ignore them. If it happens, groovy, if not, my heart will not be broken twice, right?


Here is my weekly trip through the garden. I had a little PhotoShop fun at the end since I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of green in my first draft. Let me know your thoughts and please please share a link to your garden photos from this week.

Our native rose

The perfect combo of sweetness

Volunteer tomato flowers

Emerging dahlia

Squash flowers

My baby greens. Can't wait for them to change!!

Mystery squash. Any ideas???

My lovely, dreamy sweet onions.

Significantly happier raspberries

garden color

Mystery squash cluster

simple yet settling

My helper

 ***NEW to MENTAL CHEW***


This week I am using LinkyTools to help us share our gardens. Please join below or leave an old fashion link in the comments area. THANKS!

Deer, Sprinklers and Sounds

Ok, so I sent my kid barking after deer. Whatever.

I am beginning to feel a wee bit neurotic about protecting my garden. Is this normal?

Time spent relocating motion detector sprinkler this afternoon, 10 minutes. Really?!? Really. I had to get it just right. Protect the beds and the strawberries. Protect the pumpkins and watermelons. I won't even mention how many times I got tagged in the face by the #%?! thing. Yes, I had turned it off, thank you. But then I kept forgetting, again and again. I hope my neighbor saw some of the display and was entertained. I was just getting pissy.

Now I am sitting in my favorite chair, watching "Master Chef" and listening. The sprinkler has gone off a couple of times. Pressing my face against the window to the dark outdoors doesn't provide me with much of a view. Maybe if I press it a l i t t l e bit harder, it will make a difference. No. I can't see squat. Fingers crossed. Cursing under my breath (everyone is asleep). Ugh.

What extent would you go to to protect your harvest?

Please share.

Need / Want / Like / Love 062311

I was searching through those items you just HAVE to have and I ran across this at Gardener's Supply Company.

Orchard Rack

It is a perfect little produce rack (orchard rack). I can just envision our summer and fall bounty of potatoes, onions and garlic resting here and looking beautiful to boot. They have a much larger version, but I would need to add a room on the house if I went any larger. So there it is.

What items do you dream of having for your garden?

~Say What?!?~ 061411

Give me your ideas in the comment box below. Humorous and factual entries appreciated.

SAY WHAT #1: Once upon a time this was a perfectly happy Thompson's Broccoli plant living under a cloche. One day I lifted the cloche and **GASP** this is what I found. Ideas?

SAY WHAT #2: I found this at the base of another Thompson's Broccoli plant. Huh???

All photos are taken by Val Curtis and can be used with permission only.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Gardening and I are relatively new friends. I would consider us to be in the courting phase. We both surprise each other with new revelations upon each encounter. We are learning about ourselves through our interactions. And there are those frequent "Say what?!?" moments when you have to call your best girlfriends to see if the latest manifestation is "normal" or if you should run for the hills.

Every Tuesday, I will be sharing my "Say What?!?" moment of the week with you in hopes of finding some answers.

See you tomorrow!