Overgrown

There comes a time every year when there is a decision to make.  Either the weeds take out the garden or I take out the weeds.  The decision is never as easy as it should be to me because I find it so easy to start something and so difficult to finish it well.

With my garden there is always something to blame for its being out of control.  Everything from droughts to floods, vacations to laziness.  Today I decided to get out there and kick a few weeds out.  This is the area I started in.

Before

I have a hard time pulling up plants that have a purpose, but are either too old or in the wrong place.  Sort of like they are alive and I am killing them.  Wait, that is what I'm doing.  No wonder it is hard for me!  After some hoeing, raking, and hand pulling of weeds and basil, this is what it looked like.

After

Not very good, but much better than before.  And in case you don't realize exactly how much better it is, here is my wheelbarrow full of what I pulled out of there!  I usually set little goals for myself.  Things like, "I'll work out here for one hour".  Or, "I'll pull weeds until the wheelbarrow is full".  Or, "When it gets hot enough that I almost pass out when I stand up, I will go in the house."  Today was the full wheelbarrow goal.  And here is a little tip for you in case you want to use that goal, but not work too long - put lots of large basil plants in the bottom of it.  You will get done quickly and feel really good about yourself!

I have a little fig tree that has died a couple of times and then come back from the roots.  I hope that this year it will survive the winter.  It has some cute little figs on it, but I have to say that fig trees stink.  Cute, but stinky.

The tomatoes and squash are almost finished for this year.  And I tell you, if you miss a day gathering the squash you will go back out there and find giant yellow gourds as big as watermelons!

When I got one of those this morning I cut it up and tried it out on Midnight.  Surprisingly, he ate it!

I really wish I had been able to get of picture of Daisy trying the squash.  She took a bite, then put her head in the air and showed her teeth really big.  Kind of like a big grin, but I think it was a grimace.  Seems like David used to do something like that when he ate squash. :)