Spring in the Garden

The Glory of Gardening

hands in the dirt,

head in the sun,

heart with nature.

To nuture a garden

is to feed not just the body,

but the soul.  ~ Austin

 

Spring Has Sprung

Everything is covered with pollen in the North Houston area!

We really need a rain to wash all the pollen away.  Hopefully, we will get a good one soon.  We got sprinkles yesterday.  My garden loves any and all rain.

 Look how pretty it is getting! I am so excited.

Seems last Spring was forever ago :)

Potatoes on the left, Savoy Cabbage in the middle, and onions on the right.  With a tomato snuck in the front where I had pulled the green onions already.  When you only have a little space, you have to plant where you can!

 Isn't this "potatoes" metal stake fabulous??  One of my dear friends gave me several different ones for my birthday last year. 

I will post pictures of others as I use them.

The whole garden is coming along nicely.

 

I love the promise of planting and then reaping the fruits of my labors.  I was raised on a farm in Arkansas.  You have to be faithful when you farm.  We always had a big garden, too.  My mother would plant and hope.  Sometimes half would be killed off due to the crop duster airplanes leaking chemicals on our garden as they sprayed the crops near our house.  She always had the faith to plant again the next year.  I am so proud to have been raised on a farm.  I wouldn't trade that childhood for anything!

I hope you have the time to plant a little something this spring. 

I promise it will make you happy to plant and to tend your little crop.

Until next time!

~ Joeby

 



The Getty and Gardening

A few weeks ago, my honey and I went to Los Angeles for a long weekend.  We had such a great time.  It all came about because I got us tickets to go to a taping of The Price is Right!!  Then I found airline tickets from Houston to LA for $200 each.  So, only my husband getting off work was standing in our way...  I called him, and he said he could get off work! 

So the planning began!!  :)

This is my husband and me pretending to win a car for the photographers at The Price is Right....  This was the closest we got to getting on stage :)  It was SO much fun to be in the audience, even if we didn't get to "Come on Down!!"  Drew Carey and the whole crew were really funny. 

We had a great time, and may try again some day.

 

The Getty Center

My husband grew up in Woodland Hills, CA (a burb of LA). It was great because he can drive there easily (in the craziness).

We went everywhere!!!

Today I am going to tell you about going to The Getty Center on the first day were were there. Luckily, my husband loves museums as much as I do, so the day was extra delightful!

The grounds and buildings are fabulous! And, it is all free!!!

 (Except for parking....).

Lots of buildings and lots of beautiful flowers blooming.  The day was fabulous and the weather perfect!

A view from The Getty - looking towards downtown LA.

I took an Art Apreciation course while having fun taking classes at the local community college when my daughter started kindergarten.  I LOVED it.  (I took many, many classes for fun, and plan to start back this fall - just pick a class, something I know nothing about - just to learn and be in the

college environment).  Because of that fun class, I love Art - all kinds!!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures that I took inside that turned actually out.  You couldn't use flash, and lots and lots of people were there...

 

Rembrant - "An Old Man in Military Costume"

Picasso - "Picador Smoking and Woman"

Monet - "Still Life with Flowers and Fruit"

 

Renoir - "La Promenade" - I LOVE Renoir....so lovely, just like a sigh...

 

Van Gogh - "Irises" - Can't believe I got to see a van Gogh!!!

Khnopff - "Portrait of Jeanne Kefer" - Isn't this little girl precious!!!  I love this one...

In addition to the beautiful art, the gounds were outstanding.  We walked around enjoying the beautiful day, with hundreds of other people.  So delightful!  So thankful my honey suggested we go to The Getty!!

 

 

Loved the succulents there - tons of them in beautiful pots.

March in My Garden

I have had several setbacks regarding my garden so far this year...  I planted on or near February 14 (usually the good luck start date here to get ahead of the hot, hot summer in the North Houston area).  Well, we had several freezing days since then :(

I have lost all but one of my tomato plants, all green beans, and my potatoes, that had just started coming up, were frozen back to dark green globs...

However, all the "cold" plants are thriving!!  Cabbage, Swiss chard, carrots, Brussel sprouts, lettuces.

Aren't the cabbages lovely?  I need to get busying finding recipes, and enjoying them at their peak!

 

 

Purple cabbage, carrots and lettuce

 

After the potaotes froze back, I didn't know exactly what to do... So, I waited...  The potatoes seem to be recovering from their near death experience (a.k.a. the day it was Icy in North Houston...).

River Birches covered with ice!!!  This doesn't happen here!!!

The Meyer Lemon tree that froze...  Hopefully it makes lemons this year....

I hope that your March is going well!!  I am ready for Spring!!

~ Joeby