Gardening has long been a struggle for me

For the past 20 years of living in Arkansas, I have dreamed of a bountiful harvest. Every year, I begin with more optimism than anyone could ever hope to muster. In fact, from the time the leaves start to fall from the trees, I am stricken with Spring Fever, anxiously awaiting the coming of spring, my very favorite time of the year.

From reading a lifetime of gardening magazines, watching You Tube videos and television programs, trying plants and cuttings from friends, and having pretty good success with house plants, I have really tried to grow pretty flowers and tasty vegetables, but with little success.

I have planted beautiful gardens only to have them produce few flowers and even less vegetables. I’ve planted spring bulbs, perennials that never show up after the first year, and annual flower seeds that never get more than a few pair of true leaves. Something always happens along the way. Animals are a big problem. The deer, which I love to watch, like to eat nearly everything I plant. They are brazen, like the deer I saw on my front porch munching on a pot of petunias. Raccoons, squirrels, and armadillos, not to mention the three stray cats that have adopted me, dig up tulip bulbs, hyacinths, lilies, etc.

I’ve tried composting all my kitchen scraps. I never understood why they seemed to break down so quickly until one day I looked out the window and saw a family of foxes munching on a cantaloupe rind. I still compost sometimes, but realize I will never be making dirt. Admittedly, I think I’d rather give in to buying compost and still feed the foxes. I love watching them.

I’ve learned that soil is a problem, so additives are always necessary. The many trees have taken most of the nutrients out of the soil. And, of course, there are too many rocks. Trees block out sunshine that just the year before was not a problem. Too little rain…On and on, there is always something. I’ve tried to remedy each problem as it came up.

This year, as always, I will anticipate that first mouth-watering tomato from my own backyard.

As previously mentioned in another post, I took a trip at the end of March to celebrate my mother’s 95^th birthday. I had a wonderful time, but was anxious to get back to planning my garden. Then I got sick, some sort of a stomach bug. It seemed to last longer than it should. I just wasn’t bouncing back as quickly as I’d wanted to. But once the antibiotics were out of my system and I finally did get a little energy, my enthusiasm came roaring back.

I had lots of yard work to do, but I was ready. Outside chores had really suffered during my late husband’s illness. He died in the spring last year and I didn’t even give the garden a thought. But this year, I was bound and determined to get the property looking like there were actual people living here and not just animals playing in the tall grass and weeds. I hired a yard guy, who came once. It just didn’t work out.

So I got to it all myself. While trimming some bushes along the sidewalk, I had my first ever encounter with poison ivy. I knew what it was, and I took precautions. I disposed of my gardening gloves, washed my hands and arms with hot, soapy water, even though I was sure I hadn’t touched it. I put my arms inside a garbage bag as I pulled the plant and turned the bag inside out, careful not to get it anywhere near me.

Well, that didn’t work because my right upper arm was covered with red raised bumps and blisters that itched profusely. I used my favorite essential oils, but had to reapply often. I won’t lie; it was pretty miserable. Finally, after about a week I could stop tearing at my skin. Oh boy, that stuff is nasty. Needless to say I am not a fan of poison ivy. And I thought ticks and chiggers were bad – well they are bad – but this stuff!!!

Once healed, I thought I was in the clear to get outside and start working on the garden. I purchased some tomato and pepper plants, tending to them lovingly until time for planting. Finally, I added several bags of soil to the raised bed my husband made for me years ago and prepared a few pots.

I was pretty excited to get my plants in the ground. But the fates stepped in once again as I came down with a nasty respiratory infection. The last thing on my mind as I breathed with the help of an inhaler, was gardening. Gradually though, I started feeling better and was able to nurture my little garden space.

I finally feel good again. I am anxious to enjoy that first tomato of the season, pictured above.

My hot pepper plants are already producing beautifully and I have eaten a few Black Cherry Tomatoes.

I even had a few phlox that I planted last year put on a pretty show for the first time.

High hopes are in the offing. I got a late start but this might just be the best garden I have ever had, though it is early yet and time will tell.

Admittedly, I think I just got lucky. We had lots of rain at just the right time and temperatures have been great. It is now the end of July and there are lots of flowers on my tomato plants. Even the house plants I bring outside each year are doing well, which makes me pretty happy.

Because this is Arkansas and two crops are possible, I added a few cucumber seeds and squash seeds from last year.

I even planted an herb garden. Things are looking up around here and that makes me very happy.

 

Gardening--I might as well laugh...

My green thumb has to be a recessive gene, because I have more trouble trying to grow food here in Arkansas than anyone should have to. I keep trying though. One day I am going to figure this out and will have the world's greatest crops to eat all summer, have a pantry filled with canning jars and a freezer brimming to capacity. At least that is what I dream about.

Granted, this year, I didn't put much effort into it. Since my husband, John had a stroke a year and a half ago, I've been relegated to chief household chore meister, cook, therapist, and animal tamer--we have cats. Truthfully, I'm lucky to get the yard mowed. I did however, get a container garden going on the deck. I planted some tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and a couple of flowers. The result is, as always, a mixed bag.

This pot of Basil, that I shall call "Count," fills a huge 20" pot, shown left, with its intoxicating scent, is attractive all on its own. It would be a success story for anyone, but the beauty of it is, I didn't do a thing. This was last year's garden plant, wintered over inside. The plant died--I have very little luck keeping Basil growing all winter. When I cleaned my sun porch this Spring, I placed this pot on the deck. The seeds that had fallen previously began to sprout and this is the result. I just love how it turned out.

I think it is time to make a little pesto, yes?

You can't get much more neglectful than this pot of Bermuda grass, at right. I call it "Shorts." I actually hate this stuff because it invades every garden and tries to wipe out every plant I have ever dug into what little soil I have.

This stuff is a scourge, for sure, but doesn't it make a pretty plant when it is contained in a pot?

At least that was my thought.

I have no idea what was growing in this pot before. I suspect a tomato plant, but whatever it was, it is long gone.

Shorts will be having an abortion the moment I see seeds form. And, it will be cremated in the Fall. But for now, I kinda like it.

One of my success stories, except for last year, has always been my favorite Serrano peppers. This year is no exception.

I just love these things. The heat is just about perfect. They might be a touch hotter than jalapenos, but it is a different kind of heat. And, they have such a wonderful flavor when cooked. They make delicious salsa, taco seasoning, and can be added to chili, or any other tomato-based dish.

This plant, "Peppy" like Count, is from last year. I dug it out of the garden and brought it indoors. I got a pepper or two while it was inside. It was really happy when I brought it out in the Spring, once it was warm enough. Peppers don't like the cold, so I was careful to monitor the temperature before I subjected Peppy to his new environment.

I think he liked it, because almost immediately, he started growing flowers and making babies.

And then there are the tomatoes, the one thing I really want to grow more than anything. For some reason, I am just unable to make it happen. This is one of several I have in pots on the deck. Thank goodness for the farmers in the area that are much more skilled than I. Only once in the 11 years that we've lived here have I canned tomatoes. A friend, who is no longer with us, was overrun with tomatoes and donated to my cause.

These pictured above happen to be Black Cherry tomatoes. The plant was doing really well, growing some beautiful fruit that was just nearing its ripening phase when I saw a rotten varmint squirrel carrying off the one I had been eyeing for weeks, in its fat little cheeks. This literally means war. I've begun playing Annie Oakley with a BB gun and mostly I just scare them...so far! As much as I love little animals, I see squirrels as evil thieves.

Anyway, a little fertilizer has encouraged this plant, "Tommy" to begin again. I still have high hopes for my garden.

A green bean plant seeded itself in the garden, which I have totally ignored this year. I've harvested one bean from it. There are lots of flowers though, so it behooves me to keep my eye on it.

And then, there's always next year.

Time for gardening

The garden is finally planted. All the doctor visits are out of the way for at least six more months, John is doing well at physical therapy, and my energy level is picking up a tad. Rarely do I wait until May to plant my vegetable garden, but this has been the year from hell. Hopefully, things will turn around.

I always start my gardening tasks with the highest of hopes only to have them dashed when one or more of a gazillion things defeats my efforts and deflates my dreams.

Perhaps this will be the year that all my efforts pay off. I hope to so many tomatoes that I exhaust myself cooking and stirring and canning and eating a bounty of delicious, juicy, heirloom tomatoes. I hope to have so many that I get so sick of fresh salsa and the sweet fragrance of basil mixing with tomato juice that runs all the way up to my elbows.

I know it doesn't look like much right now, but this little raised vege bed holds all the promise I can muster. It still needs a little fencing around it, but since Mother Nature is watering this morning, the fence will have to wait. I doubt the neighborhood critters have even noticed yet. I must get to that chore soon, however because the animals have no mercy when they are hungry. In addition to several heirloom varieties of tomatoes, I've planted my favorite Serrano peppers, yellow squash and cukes along with green bean seeds.

Gardening in the Ozarks is not easy, but I am determined. 

I also planted the herb garden. What a mess that was. Note the pile of leaves and 'vinca that ate Arkansas' at the top of the pic. I'm growing lots of basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon verbena, lemon balm, last year's chives, one lone garlic plant that popped up out of nowhere, and the yummy asparagus that I enjoyed earlier this Spring from seeds I planted three years ago.

While these are not great photos, I suspect they will get better as the plants grow. Even at this early stage, they do represent high hopes. There can be no bigger thrill than growing, nurturing, and consuming fresh, wholesome home grown food.

I used to have a green thumb, but I never realized how easy it was to grow a garden in the rich topsoil I became accustomed to in Illinois. A bountiful harvest was nearly effortless. But that was before moving to the Ozarks. Things here are a little more labor intensive. Admittedly, I've had little success since living here. Whether it is soil, water, drought, too many bugs, plants too close together, the deer, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, possums, and armadillos, eat that the plants, each year has been a learning experience. Perhaps this will be the year!