Saturday Farmer's Market - Growing Sunshine

Created by Heather at Capricious Reader, and now hosted by Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made on.

UPDATE from Last Week:  

Look! I grew some sunshine in my garden. The first volunteer sunflower is in full bloom and the second has just begun to open. The third is much smaller and should be here next week.






 




UPDATE #2:  

The leaves on my small lilac bush have started to curl and have brown spots on them. The bush itself is healthy and next years buds are bright green, fat, and growing fast. I don't see any bugs, but I think it must be bugs of some kind. Any ideas?




Written at a Farm

- John Codrington Bampfylde

 

Around my porch and lowly casement spread;

The myrtle never-sear, and gadding vine,

With fragrant sweet-briar love to intertwine;

And in my garden's box-encircled bed,
 

The pansy pied, and musk-rose white and red,

The pink and tulip, and honeyed woodbine,

Fling odors round; the flaunting eglantine

Decks my trim fence, 'neath which, by silence led,

The wren hath wisely placed her mossy cell;

And far from noise, in courtly land so rife,

Nestles her young to rest, and warbles well.
 

Here in this safe retreat and peaceful glen

I pass my sober moments, far from men;

Nor wishing death too soon, nor asking life.

It has been a wonderful week in the garden. I have always grown herbs and vegetables with a few flowers, but lately I have been concentrating on things that attract bees, butterflies, & the like here at crazy acres, and it has paid off.

As I sit here, I'm surrounded by birds singing and playing in the birdbath, hummingbirds chasing and feeding, bees and butterflies enjoying the flowers, and little moths, white ones and pale orange ones as well. Then there are the lizards, praying mantis, garden spiders, squirrels (am I the only one who doesn't hate these cuties?), and the occasional passing cat.

It doesn't matter that the work is never done, or that it doesn't look even remotely like the gardens on TV. My garden is a place with beauty and wonder if I remember look for it.

And that's what I love when you share your gardens.

No matter how small, I see wonder and love. Thank you.