After ...

A garden can change a LOT in two weeks!

I returned from vacation to beds overgrown with weeds and plants that I can't even guess where they came from! Tomato plants, tied up and supported as well as possible before leaving the country, had grown enough to flop and break. The basil was in serious need of cutting back. The Mexican Hibiscus seedlings were hidden within a crazy inundation of grass. Monster gourd plants were flourishing!

Thankfully, it didn't take long for me, along with some good help from Rouse the Spouse, to get all the beds cleaned up, back in order, neat and tidy. Check out the okra in the middle bed in the photo below. It's ready for hot weather!

The garlic was not quite ready to pull the day we left for France. By the time we returned, I had almost missed it! The bulbs are now hanging in the shed to dry/ cure, but there will be no pretty garlic braids this year. The greens are too far gone for that.

There were cucumbers ready to pick! I promptly sliced them and started a jar of refrigerator pickles. You can find the recipe for Refrigerator Pickles on my blogpost dated June 18, 2016 .

The entire crop of salad turnips had to be harvested. Unfortunately, the green tops were riddled with bug damage. They went directly into the compost pile. Some of the roots had grown a bit large, but were still delicious to eat. We ate the smaller ones fresh, as snacks out-of-hand, sliced into salads, or served as crudités. I sliced and braised the larger ones with onions and carrots.

Sue has NOT been in the Garden

I've been traveling in France!

The French love their flowers ... large and small pots, planters, and plots everywhere. We enjoyed so much fresh and delicious food, starting with the bread and the cheese, and including salads and prepared veggies. We saw a lot of lovely vegetable gardens. While waiting for our lunch one day, we witnessed the chef come outside and snip the basil that appeared on my salad only a few minutes later. Here's a tip for you: When purchasing fresh produce at the French markets, do not touch the picture-perfect veggies!

We loved Monet's garden at Giverny

Monet's lily pond / garden at Giverny

garden outside the Château Fort de Lourdes

formal gardens and reflecting pool at Palace of Versailles

formal gardens at Palace of Versailles

vegetable garden at the Estate of Trionon (Versailles)

vegetable garden at the Estate of Trionon (Versailles)

private vegetable garden at Gavarnie, French Pyrenees

related to gardens: a bee hotel at the jardin des plantes

Before...

I hope Mother Nature will take good care of the garden while Rouse the Spouse and I take off for two weeks in France!