Next time

It has been a tough year for my vegetable garden.


I'm finally enjoying a harvest of tomatoes,

green beans, and cucumbers. 


We've also enjoyed some delicious herbs.


We've definitely had some tasty, garden fresh meals!

But man, it has been a struggle. 


Whether it was the very cool spring, which made for a slow start to the growing season, or the sudden extreme heat, which caused the vegetable plants to wilt and the weeds to grow double time, or the buckets of rain, which tried to drown my plants, or the gardener who wouldn't work the garden in the heat, nor in the rain...that would be me...the garden has suffered.


Herbs definitely died from too much rain water. Except for the lavender, that was choked out by weeds because, as I said, the gardener would not work the garden in the, with heat index,130 degree heat. I should probably fire her...uh huh, that gardener would be me!


The tomato plants are turning brown and beginning to shrivel up. It's very sad.


And while my bean plants, though they took forever to begin to produce any beans, are now thriving, the Japanese beetles think I planted them to satisfy their voracious appetites! grrrr! Thankfully the beetles only eat the leaves. The beans themselves are left untouched and have been so very good.


Oh yeah, it's been a tough year for my vegetable garden! 


With so many wonderful Farmer's Markets close to me, I have begun to wonder if I want to put myself through this again next summer. Yes, I am already thinking about the garden for next summer!


And I'm thinking...I'm going to fill it with Zinnias!


I decided when the family was visiting the gardens at the historic Glensheen mansion in Duluth MN. (We were blessed with the opportunity to stay in Duluth for a few days last weekend very inexpensively. It was a great treat!) If you ever make it to Duluth, it is worth visiting this historic place. It's quite amazing.


Anyway, there is a section of their garden that is devoted to Zinnias.

Not only are they beautiful, but they attract butterflies! Oh so many butterflies!! This is the reason I want to fill my garden with the brightly colored blooms!

The garden was a flutter with butterflies! Oh what joy!

Butterflies do not always hold still for photos. To give you an idea of how many butterflies there were, I have circled them. Yes, those little smudges are butterflies! 

While we marveled at the gardens, I remembered that the Mother-in-law used to have a garden full of Zinnias. It too was always full of butterflies!


That is what I want next year! Butterflies! Butterflies! And more butterflies!

Again, butterflies...not smudges! Really!

They are a wonder and a delight! 


I suspect that when God made butterflies He said, "They're going to love this!"

And I do! I do! I do!!


Christine