New Inspiration ~ My Vegetable Garden

"We have learned that more of the "earth-earthiness" would solve our social problems, remove many isms from our vocabulary, and purify our art. And so we often wish that those who interpret life for us by pen or brush would buy a trowel and pack of seeds."

- Ruth R. Blodgett (1883-), The House Beautiful (March 1918)

Deborah T. Colter, a wonderful artist recently had a post on her blog discussing the nature in her own backyard. Living in Florida, the changing of the seasons is much more subtle, but they are still there. I don't get the beautiful oranges, reds and yellows of fall leaves, but the mild weather does have other benefits.

When everyone I know up North is putting their vegetable gardens to bed, I am removing the plastic placed over my beds in the beginning of summer and revealing beautiful, rich, soil screaming out for seeds and plantings.

I quickly head out to my local nursery to buy some small tomatoe, zucchini, eggplant and pepper plants for instant gratification. I do mean instant! After one month I am about to have beautiful tomatoes and I will be eating zucchini tomorrow night! Each year I force myself to wait a little longer to plant my lettuce seeds. In September it is still too hot and I know they will come up quickly, arousing excitement, but then bolting into beautiful but bitter flowers. I also wait just a little longer to plant my herbs for they will flower if I am impatient.

Right now all is about to explode with color. Soon I will have too much for us to eat ourselves and I will be able to share this bounty with friends...one of the very best parts of having a vegetable garden!

"All gardening is landscape painting."

- Alexander Pope