Grandpa's Garden

Every evening around dinner time has been harvest time in Grandpa's garden. As the summer sun warmed and nurtured, seedlings grew into hearty plants full of fruits and vegetables begging to be picked and tasted. For the kids, watching the plants grow has taught them a little something about the course of nature, and where our food comes from. For us adults, each tomato, or leaf of basil was something to be savored in a salad or on it's own.

Despite a dry hot summer, a drip irrigation system has kept the garden full of life in the scorching California sunshine. For us, each cherry tomato or green bean has been a reminder of the intricate web of life that sustains us. We have watched the garden mature from the planting of seeds in spring to observing the first seedlings slowly grow and finally mature and bear fruit. All summer we've had our own farmer's market right outside the door. Freshly picked greens, ripe tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber's have provided our daily salad. Zucchini in every size, mostly big, add nutrient to breakfasts and dinners.  Sunflowers reaching for the sky inspire awe as we crane our necks to watch the vibrant yellow flowers tracing the path of the sun across the sky, hanging delicately from their own long slender necks.

In early August, wild blackberries came into season adding another delicacy to pick and enjoy. Each morning, we'd head out into the thorny vines to pick berries for smoothies, or just to liven up granola, pancakes, or porridge.