How Does the Garden Grow?

This year the garden is kind of an afterthought. As in, I think of it after I feed, clothe, clean, and chase after four kids. Luckily the drip system waters it daily and I just have to remember to make sure things are going alright. I love to check on the garden and usually try to take the kids with me to discover what's going on.
 

Last Saturday, we discovered that the peas were ready to eat!

Ty tried them for the first time, and soon realized what we all know--that garden peas are deliciously sweet! He loves them and has devised his own ways to get inside the shell. 

The zucchinis are doing well and beginning to develop baby zucchinis!

The mammoth sunflowers are still small, but growing quickly.

The pumpkins (that I didn't plant until June!) have sprouted.

The seedlings of the giant pumpkins are, well, giant. 

The strawberry patch is beginning to establish itself. Hopefully it will take off one of these days. 

The corn came up a little patchy, but I re-seeded and hopefully it will fill in. Not that I'm worried we'll be short on supply... last year we got 91 ears from this plot!

Iris

The iris we planted two seasons ago are in full bloom right now. I didn't know what color they were since they had already bloomed when I dug them out of my friend's garden, but the yellow and orange are spectacular!

Ella discovered my favorite thing about iris, from when I was little myself... the fuzzy beard (hence the name bearded iris).  It's like a vibrant orange caterpillar!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Does your freezer look like mine?

When I planted my new zucchini I realized I still have a ton frozen from last year! I always think I will use it more during the winter and spring, but it got a little ignored. Well, time to break out a zucchini recipe to make room for more!

Meet the Chocolate Zucchini Cake... made with wheat flour and crumbly as I tipped it out of the bundt pan! This is a recipe from my Aunt Tamie that I grew up with, and I love the combination of chocolate with cinnamon.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. softened butter
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. milk
1 c. walnuts (optional)

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and zucchini. Stir in dry ingredients and milk alternately into zucchini mixture. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and beat until smooth.

Garden Beginnings

Freshly tilled, clean soil. No weeds. I love a clean slate with all the possibilities!

This week I planted beets, carrots, beans, corn, butternut squash, cucumbers, and watermelon from seed. From starts I planted yellow and green bell peppers, a jalapeno, two zucchini plants, and tomatoes. The varieties I am trying this year are Parks' Whopper, Celebrity (again), and Early Girl.

On the other end of the garden, the peas are growing nicely. 

The lettuce is doing well, and in fact we had our first salad this week! Looks like we will be having salad every night for the next month or more.  Anybody need lettuce? We can never keep up.

Unfortunately, the spinach never does well here! A friend of mine said her spinach always thrives, but it's in a shady spot. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but it doesn't like my garden!
 

The other thing growing right now is the chive I took a start of from my mom last year.

The purple blossoms are so unique!

Of the Earth

Springtime is magical... the world breaks forth in glory! I have had the opportunity to tour two of my favorite gardens this week, and just want to share some of the wealth. It reminds me of a scripture:

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; ...for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and eliven the soul." (D&C 59:18-19)

That is what the earth's beauty does for me.

The first set are from the Noni Gardens. My kids love them as much as I do and were so excited for our picnic there.

The double tulips are amazing. They are so full they look like peonies.

My mom and I really want to figure out what this is. I can't remember for the life of me, but I love them.

We just bought a tri-color beech like the middle one on the island. We need to find a large spot for it because they get huge!

The flamingo colored tulips were my mom's favorite.

My girls picked blossoms off a tree to wish me Happy Mother's Day.

These yellow tulips were so interesting.... I have never seen variegated leaves on a tulip before.

I absolutely LOVE the color of redbud blossoms. We just planted a small weeping version of this and hope it will be as beautiful.

The kids kept finding hiding places and jumping out and yelling "surprise"!

We ran into my old boss, the head gardener, and he was so kind as to grab some fish food and let us feed the trout. The kids loved watching them jump. 

The flower gardens are glorious, but I have to say I love having four little "flowers" of my own to care for.

The second place I toured was Temple Square. 

I loved this bed of rainbow color. The poppies POP, but the undertones of the tiny forget-me-nots and english daisies are sweet too!

These campanula or bluebells are knockouts.
 

We were a little too late for the pink blossoming trees, and a little too early to see the peonies in bloom, but I did find one beginning to open.

I love the groundcover lamium. I think I need to get me some of this in my shade beds.

Speaking of shade beds, these hostas were huge and happy!

There were also lots of hellebore or Christmas rose in shady beds. They are so unique.

Now for a little look at my yard's claim to glory right now... my bleeding heats are in bloom!

Yes, these definitely "please the eye and gladden the heart."