"Instant" Results of Our Spring Garden Party

One of advantage of being four months behind on the blog is that I can see the amazing results of our spring gardening efforts outside my front door right now. In many ways it is a vivid contrast, when you compare our raised garden beds in July and August to what they were in April. The grass, I have to say, was a bit greener in the spring, but I think Damon's done a pretty good job of keeping the lawn looking lovely.

By the end of April it was time to get the yard and garden in shape after a long winter. We got all the kids to come out and help in a family gardening day.

Here's Damon gathering weeds from around the blueberry bushes, . . .

April

. . . which now are full of leaves and have already had their berries harvested. Below them is a jungle of squash vines.

July

Holly was definitely interested in those sweet blueberries.

August

Adah almost looks like someone out of "American Gothic."

April

Now below, you see the spot where Adah was standing from a different angle. The biggest change is in the full leaves on the trees, the purple wildflowers growing, and the wardrobe. Adah was in fleece in April. Maggie's comfortable in her leotard and chiffon skirt. (She was having a little photo shoot; don't ask.)

July

Gunnar and Maggie were obviously hard at work here. The children had been charged with cleaning up all the bricks, sticks, jumpropes, buckets, and other paraphernalia that had gone into building "Bird City" in a thicket behind Gunnar.

April

This must be Maggie's "Statue of Liberty Pose." Our winters (and sometimes springs) may be a bit dull and gray, as far as the sky goes, but man oh man do we get green grass or what? Now, look way behind Maggie back by the fence. See that vague brown flat area? Those are our raised garden beds.

April

Check them out in late July! This is about a month ago. Those plants under Adah's elbow are basil plants. They are now about as high as her waist! Mmm-mmm, pesto. Now we just need to start growing pine nuts and garlic.

July

I love that we have a garden. After several years doing some major landscape projects, it's nice to mostly be in the maintaining stage where we can just devote 1-2 weekends with each season change to the big stuff and then the day-by-day care is not so overwhelming.

Stay tuned for a more summer garden photos. The raspberries are almost worthy of a post all their won.