My Garden

 The forms are in for a little stem wall.

   My garden was abandonded last year, left to the weeds and unusually cool and wet season.  It was a bad year for tomatoes.  The cancer and its voodoo cure left me without strength and ambition.  All in all it was a good year for this tramatic experience.
   This year will be different and I have already begun to tackle projects I was afraid I could never do again.  I am getting stronger day by day.  Oh, it is not as fast as it used to be, but I do it in steps, a little at a time and it gets done.
    My entire garden is one giant raised bed, about 16" or so inches higher than the surrounding area.  When first constructed about twenty years ago this was surrounded in railroad ties and over the years I have gradually replaced these with a concrete stem wall.  Now it is the time to do the front.

 Trumpet Vine Entry to Garden

    I have a real "Garden Entry", gated and arched with a Trumpet Vine calling your attention and invited closer scuntiny.

It will be a good year this year, slow and steady and directional.
I am thinking I will turn this blog over to my garden and gradually give you the whole tour!

In the meantime, there are more Garden Photos HERE.http://www.artwanted.com/slate

The Future?

One of the worst things about having cancer is you no longer look far into the future.  If you can get past next week or even through today that becomes pretty good.  I hated this part just because I am a goal setter by nature and some of what I want to do it way in the future.  I have always been that way, setting short term goals, midterm and down the way a bit, things I would like to do.
For this past year I have let my shop inventories dwindle down to the bare basics, not much extra steel and only one blank canvas encouraging me to paint.  I didn't think I would need them.
    The cancer is gone and I am back to my habits now, ordering a few extra pieces of this or that when I have a job to do. Two canvases calling for my attention!  My garden is screaming for the attention that I didn't give it last year.  Yesterday I spend the day in the greenhouse and that is a cause for celebration.  It is a continuation of life, without me these plants will die, left unattended to wither on the vine. I planted six seeds each of twelve varieties of tomatoes, some I have had for years, saving seeds from one year to the next.  I started four varieties of peppers, two of eggplants, some cucumbers and about 100 Zinnias.  I like flowers scattered throughout my garden.
    It was nice getting dirty again, my hands in the soil of the earth.  I removed the gloves I wear to protect them from this on-going neuropathy that I have.  They were almost comfortable in the familiar surrounding.
Today I will reconnect my well that I drove into the ground forty years ago, giving me faithful, consistent water.  It is nice to make plans for tomorrow, next week and next year.

 My Greenhouse, built almost 40 years ago!

My other Blog is HERE.