Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Order from Chaos

Tuesday dawned clear and dry and blessedly cool.  Thunderstorms are forecast for the rest of the week -- and house guests are forecast for the weekend -- so I took advantage of the fine weather to work in the garden. The corn needed thinning and hoeing; the cabbage and kale and broccoli, which were being ravaged by caterpillars, got sprayed with Bt; and the rest of the garden got hoed. 
 
Miss Susie Hutchins looked on in approval.
I came back in the late afternoon, after the box bed garden was in shadow to do more hoeing and weeding.

 And to pick some lettuce and herbs for our salad at supper.
Oops! I missed that Devil-in-the-Garden lurking in the lettuce. 
 But I was delighted to find some peppers just forming!
 
 And a bit puzzled by this enthusiastic volunteer -- pumpkin? Winter squash?

Time will tell.
There are even a few tomatoes! They kind of don't count since I bought it as a potted plant with small green fruit already on it. But still . . . pretty exciting!

 And by the end of the day I was stiff and sore and feeling rather aged -- but it feels so good to have the garden, momentarily at least, in some sort of order.

There's a theory that says that gardeners are trying to impose order on Nature's chaos -- mowing grass, pulling weeds, making things look just so. 

Could be . . .

There's another theory that says that people who read mysteries -- or crime fiction as they call it in the UK-- do so for the same reason -- to see order (Justice) prevail over chaos (Crime.)

Hmm . . . 

And speaking of mysteries -- no, I've not yet heard from Herself about the manuscript I sent her.  No news is good news . . . at least while I have so many things to get done around here!
 

17 comments:

Reader Wil said...

What a garden!! Beautiful, but it needs a lot of work! No wonder that you were stiff and sore after a day's work in your garden.
Thanks for your visit! I didn't know the poem on umbrellas, its funny and true as well.

Martin said...

One of the most satisfying ways to spend time, in the garden. Your crops look good, and well tended. And your beautiful cat to act as supervisor!

Pat in east TN said...

Your gardens are beautiful and I'm jealous of your tomatoes, regardless if you bought them with fruit on them or not.

I also spent the day getting my garden in order and am pleased with the results. Now hoping the rains come that they've promised.

Brian Miller said...

perhaps that is imbued in us at birth, to bring order out of chaos...

nice garden!

Elora said...

Vicki,

Thanks so much for the Bt info. Now, the question is, where did you get it? I'm going to check with Southern Ag to see if I can get it from them. We've used it in the birdbaths, but never thought to see if it was available as a "pesticide" for the garden. Your garden looks lovely! We're just about ready to call off planting more until we start fall plantings! Have a lovely time with your guests!

Elora

Vicki Lane said...

Elora -- Bt is marketed as Thuricide and some other name I can't recall just now. But it's around, in powder or liquid form, at most garden centers.

Merisi said...

Love the insight into crime mystery readers' minds!
Trouble is, what does it mean for people like me who for some reason are not into mysteries? I see trouble brewing .... may stuff for a book? ;-)

Is that chicory or oak leaf lettuce that the brown visitor was invading? My Italian side loves the bitter taste of chicory quickly boiled and wrung out, fruity olive oil and fresh lemon juices splashed over it when it has cooled down to room temperature (ah, the comments of people AWOL from duties, aren't they so dear?).

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What a lovely garden Vicki. I really like the raised beds. Love your supervisor.

If you have too much rain up there, send it to Florida. They are still waiting for rainy season, which should have been here already.
Sam

Tammy said...

Looks great! And what a lovely feeling (I'm sure...) to have it all in some sort of order. I'm still bushwhacking here but I can occasionally catch a glimpse of order in there somewhere. Last night I think I dealt my rider mower a fatal blow. I'm refusing to dwell on it. ha.
Tammy

Helen T in SC said...

What is Devil-in-the-Garden and what is the plant with the spiked leaves immediately above the lettuce in that picture? Inquiring minds want to know. Thank you.

Friko said...

It is a good feeling, when you come in after a day's work in the garden. You may be exhausted but that feeling of virtue is not to sneezed at.

Tess Kincaid said...

Ah, lovely. Makes me miss my garden.

Deanna said...

Zucchini maybe?

Just think of the fun times enjoying the fruits of your labor. Love you garden.

I love your cat!

Vicki Lane said...

Merisi -- that's a generalization -- I read mysteries (along with a lot of other things) but for me, the undoing of the puzzle is far less important than the characters and setting. I think some mysteries can be formulaic -- perhaps that's what you don't like.

No, that was a red lettuce called Merlot next to the oak leaf lettuce. I'll have to try chickory cooked --have only ever had it raw.

I love the raised beds too, Sam -- part of that sense of order again!
My supervisor loves to roll in the freshly hoed dirt.

I only took pictures of the orderly part, Tammy. There's a whole lot of untouched, untended stuff just waiting for me.

Helen -- Devil-in-the-Garden is the weed with serrated leaves and a tiny white flower with a yellow center. It grows prolifically but is easy to pull up and the chickens enjoy it as a green treat.

Friko - So very true!!!

Thank you, Willow!

It's running all over the place more like a winter squash, Deanna.

Vicki Lane said...

Merisi -- that's a generalization -- I read mysteries (along with a lot of other things) but for me, the undoing of the puzzle is far less important than the characters and setting. I think some mysteries can be formulaic -- perhaps that's what you don't like.

No, that was a red lettuce called Merlot next to the oak leaf lettuce. I'll have to try chickory cooked --have only ever had it raw.

I love the raised beds too, Sam -- part of that sense of order again!
My supervisor loves to roll in the freshly hoed dirt.

I only took pictures of the orderly part, Tammy. There's a whole lot of untouched, untended stuff just waiting for me.

Helen -- Devil-in-the-Garden is the weed with serrated leaves and a tiny white flower with a yellow center. It grows prolifically but is easy to pull up and the chickens enjoy it as a green treat.

Friko - So very true!!!

Thank you, Willow!

It's running all over the place more like a winter squash, Deanna.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/2010/06/jingles-june-follower-awards-week-1.html

awards 4 u,
enjoy!

Tipper said...

There is just something so satisfying about getting the garden or the yard in order. Your garden looks great. I don't have any ripe tomatoes yet-but I do have some baby peppers : )