God’s in charge of the flowers and seeds. And I am in charge of all the weeds…

If yours is like mine it grows without a lot of help from its gardener. ; o   Oh I always start out with good intentions, but before long the weeds are outpacing the veggies.  Despite my firm resolve, they both usually grow together, like the wheat and tares, until we harvest.  Still the sunflowers are peeking out now and the lettuces are growing well again this year.  We have had some wonderful salads that gave no hint of the mess of a garden from which they sprang.

While living in VA we visited Monticello and saw Thomas Jefferson’s incredible vegetable gardens. Row after row of neatly manicured vegetables that were as beautiful to see growing as they were delicious to eat. What attracted me even more were his meticulous gardening notes. He was fascinated by the whole process.

Edith Schaeffer shared Jefferson’s feelings about vegetable gardening.  In the Hidden Art of Homemaking she writes:  "God not only created all the flowers, trees,shrubs, ornamental plants and fruits to put in it, he He actually designed and planted a garden. He designed it so that is might contain things that were good to eat, but they were also to be pleasant to look at."

If you are so inspired you may wish to keep a gardening notebook as well to document these horticultural wonders. Missy from the Homesteadgardens shares her garden notebook plan to include seed packet snippets (in business card pockets – check it out!), sketches for future garden layouts, wishlists and notes about growing conditions and the garden’s successes.

Another fun garden find was Susan Branch’s Garden’s Little Book Particularly fun to peruse if you, like me, prefer the IDEA of the garden to the cultivation thereof. : )

If you are homeschoolers don’t forget to visit Elizabeth Foss’s Down the Garden Trail post.

  Last but not least, if you find yourself with a boatload of lettuces, such as these, here is the trick to making a spectacular green salad: How to Make a Great Green Salad  If I can’t make the garden pretty, in this a baby year, I can at least make the salad so!

Since this "garden" of mine can always use weeding also, I leave you with this advice for growing the most important garden of all:

For the garden of your daily living, plant three rows of "peas":

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash;

1. Squash gossip

2. squash indifference

3. squash negativism

4. Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:

1. Lettuce be considerate

2. Lettuce be generous

3. Lettuce be patient

4. Lettuce be kind

No garden is complete without turnips

1. Turnip to help one another

2. Turnip for service

3. Turnip with a smile

To conclude our garden we must have thyme:

1. Thyme for each other

2. Thyme for family

3. Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience, fertilize with understanding, and cultivate with love because you will reap what you sow.  (author unknown)