Riches of the Garden

In my recent daybook, I promised a gardening post. This one isn't completely ripe but it's a budding landscape and that carries a weight all its own.

Here is one of the mayhaw trees adorned in its springtime jewelry.

Tomato plants sitting in grandma's tin cans, waiting to be put on the pantry shelf.

My husband made these treated cucumber laddars. They were made as part of a swing-arbor many years ago and we recycled them. I wish I had mini-cucumbers to photograph but the squirrels got our first batch.

So we replanted. Here is our starter crop in our hothouse buckets. The cucumbers are in the little circular cups next to the peppers.

Squash buds. Husband told me this afternoon that we have a baby squash already. I need to go check that baby.

Corn stalks which tend to be jesters. They grow elegantly at first, stately guardians of the garden, but never seem to remain. Still...the jester is under the king's command, so we shall wait and see.

Strawberry plants, green onions, peppers, tender cucumber vines, and new tomatoes in the hothouse buckets. Can't wait until this produce aisle opens on market day. My freezer, my pantry, and my purse will be many times heavier.

These pictures were taken earlier in the month and I'm afraid I don't have any ripe red strawberries to share with you, just green. We had a handful of pleasing samples injected full of juice until a couple of sneaky squirrels---by the names of Annie and Michael---ate them all. We're hoping Mother Nature is kind and sprinkles our vines with more natural rubies so the rest of us can enjoy the riches of the garden.