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<\/a><\/p>\nI was nervous about the garden, though.\u00a0 Most of the fall plants were seedlings or delicate transplants when we left.\u00a0 I had no idea whether there had been insufficient rainfall or a drenching strong enough to drown them while we were gone.\u00a0 The plants could have withered and died in extreme heat or been choked out by henbit or chickweed in pleasant, moderate temperatures.\u00a0 So imagine my surprise when I came around the corner in the garden and found this:<\/p>\n
I have no idea what happened down there.\u00a0 But the results were fabulous.<\/p>\n The kale needed cutting immediately!<\/p>\n So did the spinach.<\/p>\n The broccoli and brussels sprouts had been heavily visited by cabbage moths and their leaves were peppered with holes.\u00a0 Until they weren’t.<\/p>\n And the bok choy.\u00a0 Oh my!<\/p>\n Even this veggie, which I planted but forgot to label (I think we’ve discussed this habit previously), was thriving.\u00a0 Too loose for cabbage.\u00a0 Too flat for lettuce.\u00a0 Too rounded for beet leaves.\u00a0 Anyone wanna bet it’s green radicchio?\u00a0 Probably?\u00a0 Maybe?<\/p>\n But most impressive was all the lettuce.<\/p>\n Black Seeded Simpson.<\/p>\n Red Sails.<\/p>\n Romaine.<\/p>\n And Buttercrunch.\u00a0 The tastes-so-good-I-can’t-believe-this-is-lettuce lettuce.<\/p>\n A fabulous lettuce crop is a joy all its own.\u00a0 But this year I was still collecting 6-8 large tomatoes a week.<\/p>\n With more Better Boy….<\/p>\n ….and Homestead on the way.<\/p>\n And, of course, until frost we’ll be eating Super Sweet 100….<\/p>\n ….and whatever this tomato is (ugh, the labeling again!) that is much larger than a cherry tomato, but smaller than a globe tomato, but not a grape or pear.<\/p>\n Which means I finally accomplished the gardener’s dream.\u00a0 Fresh luscious lettuce growing alongside rich, ripe tomatoes.\u00a0 The 2 vegetables that go great together but whose seasons rarely overlap.\u00a0 Throw in the bell peppers still chugging along nicely….<\/p>\n and it was like I had been here the whole time.\u00a0 Slaving away in the garden—-coddling the seedlings, encouraging the summer plants to limp along, checking for insects, pulling weeds.\u00a0 But I wasn’t.\u00a0 I was in the hot tub.\u00a0 Or taking a nap.\u00a0 Or, at my busiest moments, sitting on the sand and supervising this:<\/p>\n Even the dahlias burst into bloom while I was away.<\/p>\n And the beautyberry bush I got for my birthday in March set an awesome amount of berries.<\/p>\n Now that’s what I call a victory garden.\u00a0 Although, I can’t help but wonder where it all went right.\u00a0 Perfect temperatures?\u00a0 The right amount of rain?<\/p>\n Maybe just God’s way of saying,<\/p>\n “Girl, I still think you’re beautiful….<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n