The Garden of Forgiveness...

   It has been a week since I fertilized my plants. If you remember from my last post, some of the babies in my garden were sending out an SOS by turning yellow. It's funny how nature has a way of talking to you without speaking. Fortunately, my garden has been very forgiving of my newbie mistakes, and I am excited to say my plants are recovering. The corn is now a beautiful shade of green. The pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers are slowly losing that dry, yellow look. The only plant that hasn't recovered yet is the squash.

   I didn't test the soil today, because I wanted to lightly fertilize it one more time this week. I will test it later in the week after the forecasted rain comes. I am eager to see the results. I can already tell that positive changes are happening, and the work I have been putting in the garden is highly appreciated by my plants and other forms of life (but not the beetles lol). Which brings me to talk about one of the best parts of my garden...the borage. It has brought in bees from all over. They are surrounding the garden. I couldn't be more happy to know that I am feeding one of the most important and highly-needed creatures to our environment, while in turn they are helping my garden flourish.

  

Those aren't my weeds next to the borage!!😮

                                                                   That cucumber beetle can stay on that borage and off of my veggies!! lol

This is what happens when your plants and the bees are happy-- take a look at the photos and then wait for it......wait for it......

Roma Tomatoes!!!                                                          Pumpkin

 Okra  

Pickling Cucumbers

                     
And now for the big reveal....


   I have harvested my first cucumber!! This was the most beautiful pickling cucumber I have ever seen! I immediately took it home, rinsed it off, and sliced a piece. It tasted so fresh. I sliced the rest of the cucumber. After drizzling a little bit (well, maybe more than a little lol) of Ranch dressing (it's the healthy kind, I promise) and a sprinkle of black pepper...I ate the most enjoyable, cool, refreshing summer snack, and it was grown by me. ME!! I did that!! Words cannot express how amazing it feels to participate in helping our environment thrive and to provide myself with fresh, organic food.

   Now that I have enjoyed the fruits (or just one fruit so far lol) of my labor, it's back to weeding. I have almost completely cleared them out, but it's an everyday struggle. My garden will be beautiful and WEED-FREE!!!