July 28th marked the completion of the second year of this blog! I had planned to mark this occasion with some sort of spectacular cake for you, but as we all know things do not always go according to plan.
(Wouldn’t life be boring if they did?)
Unfortunately, my plans were nipped in the bud, literally, shall we say? I found myself pretty much immobilized these past couple of weeks due to a bit of over-exuberance in the garden. While pulling out the withering lily foliage in the hopes of tidying the garden a bit I strained my back which led to an attack of sciatica. Let’s just say I should know better, and I do, because it is not the first time this has happened. Guess I’m a slow learner. The worst is over and I am on the mend.
I ’ve decided to post some photos from the garden since it will be a little longer until I can maneuver my way around the kitchen for any amount of time. But I promise something special to come. These photos were taken throughout this spring and mid summer.There will be more to come of these as well.
I get so much pleasure out of the process of gardening even when mother nature seems to be doing her best to work against us….the deer who stop by for a nightly buffet dinner (they particularly enjoyed the lily buds) this year, the chipmunks and squirrels who seem to dive headfirst into the pots either looking for treasures or burying them, I’m not quite sure, the mealy bugs that seemed to be everywhere, and of course the highly unusual triple digit temps coinciding with long dry spells.
But, in spite of all this, and maybe even because of it, the joy is so much sweeter. When I gaze around my yard and patio it tells a story. Almost 25 years ago I began this endeavor with little knowledge or first hand experience. With the help of my sister and best friend I learned so much, and through my own research and trial and error, the successes seemed to outweigh the failures.
I know I’ve said this before but it’s in the doing , whether it be cooking or gardening, that we learn and with this knowledge our confidence grows. And without those challenges we’re faced with, the experience would not be nearly as fulfilling.
I hope you enjoy these photos, and I promise… you will have your cake and eat it, too, before too long!
Thanks again for being loyal followers of Dinner at Sheila’s!
2012 Garden
