7.26.2010

mary mary quite contrary...

Guest Post today from my ever talented sister in law Laura in Illinois.  Take it away Laura...

"Write an essay about how you spent your summer."  How many times did you have to write that essay at the beginning of the school year?  

As a kid I had great adventures to write about - family vacations into the wild west, life at the community pool, watching The Price is Right every morning, nightly flashlight tag games with all the neighborhood kids and other super cool and groovy stuff like that. Yes, my youth was spent in the '60's -70's!

If asked to write that paper now, it would be a riveting essay about how I watch my garden grow. There would be a section about how my father tells me the stories of his life as we tend to the needs of the garden.


Not only would I mention dirt, bugs, critters, crop rotation, rain vs. sunlight, tomato condos, and the virtues of hoeing; gardening would sound so exciting everyone would want to plant their own organic garden next spring.






Then I would close with a reflection of how watching the garden grow with your father is one of the best summer adventures around. Certainly I would get an A+on that paper!


Hope everyone is having an A+ summer!


What would you write about in your essay?


Side note from Jeanette: all these images were taken by Laura and are of her actual garden - amazing!




13 comments:

pamela said...

amazing! i wish i had the time, talent and space for such a lovely garden!

MJM said...

Aunt Laura! That's incredible. I wish I had the space and weather to do something like this.

Jillian said...

Oh my goodness, those photos are gorgeous! I have tried my hand at gardening but never have I succeeded.

Maybe next year!

Maria said...

Laura - I now have garden envy. Beautiful - the veggies and the story (oh - and that quilt!)

D&D said...

that garden is unreal! i'm envious

Andrew H. said...

My garden story would likely be about the slow death of vegetables in desert sun... I don't think people would enjoy reading it. ;-)

Outstanding job on the garden! I need to know what a tomato condo is!

Henley said...

This looks like some of the community gardens we have here in NY. Remarkable that only two people have done all this!

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

What heavenly garden Laura has! All these fresh vegetables must taste divine.
Hope you will have a most wonderful week, Jeanette. xx

Sunshine said...

Oh! I would love to have a vegetable garden! Laura, it looks like your hard work is paying off! Great that you and your dad could do this together. Great pics too!

Molly Page said...

Those photos are totally beyond gorgeous. What a treat!

My essay might be about learning to love running! It's been my summer adventure and a HUMONGOUS surprise...

Brandywine said...

I really do love everything about my little house & my big yard.
Thank you all for your kind words and if you all lived closer I'd be sharing all that the garden offers with you.

I hope you are all happy where ever you are planted!

beachvintage.com said...

I love the look of all those fresh veges. Thanks so much for your kind words on my blog last friday. Hugs. Simone xx

RockinJ9designs said...

I guess my summer essay would be HOW TO EFFECIENTLY USE A PITCHFORK or HOW TO PROPERLY JUMP OFF THE BARN AND ONTO THE HAY WITHOUT INJURY and if for some unseen reason you did'nt use the proper technique HOW TO COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATE STORY. Loved my summers and I would add those are beautiful pictures of an outstanding garden. As a child, I was in charge of the raddishes. Now, I can barely keep a candle burning. Thank you Adam and Eve because I surely have a green thumb where cacti are concerned (It's their fault that we must walk among the thorns and thistles of the earth). Got plenty of those on my patio. So sorry for the rabbit trail. Lovely garden Laura!!!!!!!!!!!