Garden dreaming

During my walk today I saw garden flags faded by the summer sun looking forlorn without the growing green abundance that embraced them just a month ago. Yes, fall is here and the warm, green days are slowly turning to autumn gold.

This is the time of year when I remember the garden dreaming I did during the past winter. I wanted to create a garden that would be like an exquisite collection of jewels, all neatly displayed and tenderly cared for throughout the season so I could show them off and feel proud of my work.

Reality always looks somewhat different.

There was that celery experiment that ended in lifeless plants.

My parsley came up later than usual and is just now producing nice-sized leaves.

I wanted to have a fall crop of greens. The first planting only grew weeds. I’m afraid my follow up is having the same result.

I’m still thinking about the “no till” method of gardening that begins in the fall when you layer cardboard, organic fertilizer (more commonly known as manure) and straw. If I get my act together and gather all of those items, I’ll try it on at least one third of my garden. If.

But I have had some successes, also.

The new greenhouse gave us healthy seedlings to plant.

The jicama, my new, successful crop, is still flourishing. I’ll let it grow until frost is nearer then I’ll dig and see what I have under the ground.

I’ve planted tomatoes in pots to try to grow in my green house after frost arrives. That will be a fun experiment.

And we still have tomatoes, peppers, beets, beans, carrots, raspberries and herbs to enjoy this month. Plus the turnips will be maturing.

Yes, there have been some successes. I’ll use the good energy that gives me to move some of my perennial flowers and herbs to new spots where they’ll do better next year then I’ll map them so I can remember where I put them.

Gardens thrive with planning, work and dreaming. Here’s to making a plan, with resolve, that can turn a dream into reality.