The Healing Garden

We all know that time spent in the garden is relaxing, nurturing the senses. I have neglected my poor garden for the past few weeks ~ first by taking off to Pennsy for that brief respite, only to be followed by this wretched. I am feeling much better today; still wobbly on my feet. I craved the fresh scent of outdoors. The air is thick and heavy. No promise, no hint of rain anywhere in the near future.


As I walked around the garden and yard, I realized just how lonely my flowers were for my touch. Evidence of neglect is everywhere. Grass that I could never get to grow in my yard crops up all around my flowers. Despite the lack of any real substansive rain in the past few weeks, my darlings have put on a valiant show of color and survival.
The oregano should have been pinched back to sweeten the leaves; instead I have the lovely flowers which are as fragrant as the leaves! Here you can see some bouncing bette (soapwort) setting its seed. When it dries a bit longer, I will harvest those seeds to be sure! I only recently found out that the true name of the plant is in the soapwort family. My Granny always called her Bouncing Bette. As I walked around the yard, I noticed with some surprise that the walnut tree is setting its fruit. Why I should be surprised, I have no clue, as it is the right time of year. I just don't know what has happened to the time? I feel sometimes like the Mad Hatter in the Alice in Wonderland movie "Time, Time, Who has the time?"

I used to have several black walnut trees, most removed because of the toxins they project into the soil. Not very good for most veggie gardens. Being a prim lover, I have used black walnuts to make paste and stain. I must admit it is not my favorite to use. The squirrels hereaways bounce on the branches to drop the walnuts. A taste treat for the winter months?



Now here is a charming bit of overgrown beauty! There is some Bouncing Bette, Chives, Autumn Joy Sedum, all being crowded out by fledgling paradise tree shoot, grass stalks and the lovely but invasive morning glory.



This okra plant shows that it is in the mallow family by its lovely bloom. That dratted ground hog has discovered the hidden veggies within my flower beds. Until next season, I am resigned to the fact that he is growing fat off my produce. Next year, fat varmit, you will be trapped and moved somewhere else!!

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."