After my last feature, This Old Married Life, was received well by all of you (thanks!) I decided that I wanted to add another feature to my blog. Journeys with Jeanie is a tribute to my grandmother and the lessons she taught me.
My grandma Jeanie was my best friend and when she passed away I wasn't quite sure how I was going to go on without her. Turns out she instilled values and lessons in me that I would never forget, she made me a lot of who I am. I remember things she taught me every single day and I want to pay tribute to those things here. First up...gardening!
My grandma always kept a garden. As a kid I just thought it was fun to cut string beans down and pick the radishes and tomatoes. She grew beautiful flowers and lettuces and had the most amazing brain bush (hydrangeas,) that you ever saw!
Because of what I thought was normal growing up as a kid, (all people grow tomatoes in their flowerbeds right?) I have a desire to grow my very own garden. I decided that this year we would start small and shoot for growing everything I need for salsa; jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro plus a couple other herbs and flowers.
My herbs are doing great! First lesson learned, cilantro if given too much sun will bolt and turn into coriander. Those little flowers might be pretty but then the leaves stop growing and it stops being cilantro. This is my second cilantro plant and it stays in the shade.
My veggies have been the most rewarding. To see something you bought when it was just a tiny little plant grow into this amazing vegetable is so wonderful. I can't wait until we can eat them! I'm thinking some of our jalapenos will be ready next week quickly followed by our tomatoes. And that beautiful chocolate beauty bell pepper...I can't wait to see what color that one ends up!
Oh and my snapdragons were the most beautiful bush of flowers until our pup decided that they were also extremely tasty. Sadly, they're not looking so hot anymore. He also managed to eat my zinnias into an early grave.
My grandmother taught me that growing your own food can be not only rewarding but gives you a sense of completion. You learn to understand the whole process and when you know the work it takes to put food on your table you appreciate that food more. It's also cheaper, that jalapeno plant doesn't know that Mr. Coleman and I won't be able to eat the 25 peppers that are about to be ripe all at the same time before they go bad!
I'm thankful that a bit of her green thumb was passed on to me and that she instilled in me a desire to do for myself. I will definitely think about her when I make some fresh homemade salsa from my garden. I can't wait to grow lettuce when it cools down!
Thank you grandma for always teaching me how to be my very best.
Nicole
