Vegetable Gardening | Good News Only

I Corinthians 3:7

So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

In the early 1960s I attended Horace Mann Junior High School near Florence and Western Avenues in Los Angeles. I remember hardly a blade of grass once past the outside fencing. I’m sure there must have been a blade somewhere, but mostly I remember acres of blacktop. Thick rubber mats kept you from breaking a bone if you fell from the “monkey bars” as we called them back in the day.

However, I do remember somewhere on campus there was a small plot of soil devoted to gardening and horticulture. It was an actual class offered to us “less capable” students. Yes, I was in there, but truly it is one of my fondest memories after some 60 years. I doubt if it is still there now. Too bad – I think that single class profoundly affected me in a very positive way. The magic and wonder of putting a seed into soil and reaping an actual plant with fruit attached has never forsaken me. Praise God for His creative ingenuity.

Romans 1:20 says

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Whenever a plant a seed I have to give thanks and praise; it is truly God at work.

Since we’ve moved to our new home our gardening efforts have changed. The weather is much cooler, the growing season is shorter, and the deer compete earnestly for all things edible sprouting from the ground. We have taken everything indoors to the greenhouse. It is so awesome to make a salad from lettuce and cucumbers, peppers, and radishes you grew yourself. The taste and colors are amazing. Here are a few pictures of our efforts so far.

gardening, greenhouse, greenhouse gardening, vegetable gardening, gardening in pots

Looking into the greenhouse.

Lettuce.

Bell peppers.

Beets! My favorite.

Radishes and carrots.

Cucumbers.

Tomatoes.

Salad fixings.

I can’t wait for the beets and cucumbers and carrots. I’m even trying broccoli this year. It’s fun, rewarding and delicious. Thank you Lord for everything.

Amos 9:13-15

Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills well be dissolved. Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

Amen! I’m ready to see that garden right now! Sounds like Good News Only to me!

One thing I really love about gardening is that you never know what unusual characters will appear in the garden. About three years ago we grew a tomato that could only be described as “rude”. I mean, this guy had no manners or decorum at all.

This year we have a few new surprises. The fruit in the photo below is actually a cucumber. The soda can is there for scale. I did not know a cucumber could actually get that big.

This baby weighs in at 2.2 pounds!

Looks like we’ll be having cucumber sandwiches. But wait: there’s more! The next ones are twins, joined along the side and growing from the same stem. Amazing!

Twins! Conjoined along one side.

Them comes my favorite: green peas. I love teasing them from their pods. Some pods have only three, some have as many as eight. iI takes many pods to get enough for dinner, but it’s worth it. They taste great right out of the pod.