A Writer’s Garden–The Healing Garden by Christa MacDonald

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A Writer’s Garden, Christa MacDonald, flowers, Gardening blog, plants, Redemption Road, romantic suspense, roses, Sweet romance, the healing effect of a garden, tomatoes, vegetables

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Christa MacDonald who will talking about her garden and its healing and calming effect. I’m sure we can all relate. I know I can. Welcome, Christa!

Tomatoes in Grow Bags

It’s June and my garden is already overgrown. I have not been attentive this year. This is more of a problem than usual because I added two additional beds. Also complicating things, I decided to put my tomatoes in grow-bags. It’s my anti-blight experiment. For years I never had blight issues, but the last two summers have been pretty brutal so I’m seeing if the grow bags can solve it. So far, I’ve only seen the impact on my water bill. Yikes these things dry out quickly!

The roses have been outstanding this year. Is anyone else having a rose year to end all years? It’s a balm to my tattered soul.

• 

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After a very rough few months managing a job heavily impacted by the pandemic, I went into this gardening year a bit ragged. This was followed by the sudden loss of my 17-year-old daughter, Eden, to an undiagnosed, asymptomatic intracranial brain hemorrhage. The shock, the struggle to save her and the devastation knowing we couldn’t has nearly finished me off. Grief is an angry ocean, and I am tossed about on its waves, struggling to keep my head above water. Sitting in my garden, especially in the evenings, is a way I’ve found to calm the seas. 

Gardens are healing places. I’m not sure if it’s being connected to God’s creation, the smell and vibrancy of life all around, or just the quiet and peace of it that does it. The garden offers a safe place to be your wounded self. Weeping is entirely acceptable with the plants, and so is staring off into the distance, lost in thought. And if you’re feeling the rage coming, take it out on the weeds. They won’t mind. 

Eden’s Rose

In my family, I’m the only gardener. Eden hated gardening, although she loved plants, specifically bright, vibrant, unusual ones. She even kept a moss terrarium up in her room. But the act of digging in the dirt, dodging bees (she was allergic to wasps), and dealing with the heat – not her thing. Every Saturday, though, we’d watch the BBC program Gardeners’ World together. I even planted a rose because it shared her name. 

As it happens, that rose was in the front yard and took a beating this winter. It looked close to death, so I transplanted it to my herbaceous border in the back. At first, things were looking grim, but it hung tough, and a few days ago, just after Eden died, the rose with her name gave me a bloom. It was as if the garden knew I needed to see that proof of life. I, of course, wept. 

But our family has something better than a bloom as proof of life after death. Eden was a child of God, saved by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Our souls are eternal, and it’s a comfort knowing that hers is with the Father. 

Sitting in my garden tonight, in the gloaming, I can’t help but think that those of us who garden, who hike forests, who farm, who seek out God’s creation, we are the lucky few. God is the original gardener; we are His apprentice. Time spent tending his creation is time spent with Him. What is more healing than that? 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Christa MacDonald is a lifelong gardener and writer living in New England despite its terribly short growing season. She’s the author of the Sweet River Redemption contemporary Christian romance series. All three books are now out on Amazon and the first in the series, The Broken Trail, is on audio at Audible

Connect with Christa on her Website.

Redemption Road

By Christa MacDonald

It’s redemption that he needs, and she’ll pay any price to help him find it.

As the new game warden in Sweet River, Alex Moretti is focused on enforcing Maine’s wildlife laws and little else. Moving from tragedy to a fresh start, all he wants is a way to fix his life in the tranquility of the north woods. Until he meets Annie Caldwell at Coffee by the Book. But his own bitter, dark life is a threat to Annie’s sweetness and light. It’s better for him to stay away.

Annie doesn’t know how to label her relationship with Alex, but she is determined to figure it out. After a few false starts and a kiss under the Christmas lights, their romance goes from fiction to fact. Annie has fallen hard. Then trouble shows up. Someone is stalking Alex, seeking to punish him for a mistake which ended in deadly consequences. When Annie becomes a target, he tries to push her away, but she won’t abandon him. Alex is desperate to keep Annie safe while he attempts to reconcile the past, but what he really needs is redemption. And she will risk her life to help him find it.

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A Writer’s Garden–Tomatoes, Tomatoes by Gail Sattler

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A Writer's Garden, Gail Sattler, Garden blog, Gardening in Canada, growing tomatoes, Mercury Rising, tomatoes

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Gail Sattler, who loves to plant tomatoes!

Welcome, Gail.

To anyone who has followed me in previous years, here I am again, with yet another, and hopefully better informed, attempt at growing a small garden. Mostly, though, my goal is to grow another successful tomato garden, this time with tomato plants that I grew from seeds myself. Of course buying plants is still a possibility, but hopefully, this year I will succeed and not buy anything except packages of seeds!

Here is what I have planted, with the addition of oregano as an afterthought.

We have growth!

Even my oregano is growing.

As time goes on, everything is a little bigger. I’m pretty excited about this. I think most of them will be big enough by the time I can plant outside. A friend told me that I can plant them outside when the temperature doesn’t go below 10 degrees (Celsius) at night. For now, I’m putting them outside during the daytime for them to soak up the sunshine.

The more leggy plants 2^nd from the right (below) are cucumbers. They are doing the best. I was told I didn’t need to start them inside, but oh well. They’ve got a head start. I’m the most proud of these tomatoes. They are a variety called Manitoba, which is where I am from, so I’m really looking forward to these.

This is what I’m aiming for, this is my tomato garden last year, which is on the west side of my fence in order for them to get the most sunshine. All of these were bought as plants, but I hope my home-grown ones this year will be even better.

About the Writer/Gardener:

 Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver BC (Canada, eh!) where you don’t have to shovel rain. A grandma of two beautiful little girls, Gail and her husband and two dogs are staying home and social distancing despite missing the little ones. Visit Gail’s website at www.gailsattler.com

I don’t have a new book out, but if anyone is interested, please check out my last 2 on Amazon, The Other Neighbor – which is a romantic suspense, and Mercury Rising – which is an adventure with supernatural elements.

Mercury Rising

by Gail Sattler

Michael wants to save his daughter, but first he’s got to save the world.

Michael and Charlotte meet when Michael is trying to find Ashley, his missing daughter who has fallen into drug abuse, and Charlotte is searching for her son Jon, a brilliant and aspiring young scientist who has also gone missing.
Ashley and Jon should have nothing in common, but after the murder of Jon’s favorite professor, they become ensnared in a tangled web that becomes worse with every new discovery.
When Michael and Charlotte join together to figure what their children have become involved with, they, too, are sucked into a sinkhole for which there are no answers, only more questions.
When all seems lost, will they all recognize the source of strength offered to them, and… will they take it?

A Writer’s Garden–A Tomato Adventure by Gail Sattler

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A Writer's Garden, Gail Sattler, Garden blog, The Other Neighbor, tomatoes, vegetables

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s writer/gardener guest is Gail Sattler who will be bragging about her tomatoes. Welcome, Gail!

 

For the last few years I’ve done an early-in-the-season post showing my strawberries, crabapples, and blueberries. This year – something different – Tomatoes!!!

For those of you who have been following me, this year my strawberries weren’t so great – they took another beating during our unseasonably cold winter. My blueberries and crabapples are plentiful and yummy.

But this year – tomatoes!

I tried sprouting some tomato plants from seeds in my kitchen window. They seemed to do okay, but… when I planted them outside, all but one died. It’s doing okay, but too small to actually produce anything by the end of the season.

Discouraged, I’d given up. But… due to COVID I had gone to the local hardware store since my husband has health issues, so he stays home, and I do all the shopping and errands.

Gail and her husband 

At the store (Rona, kinda like Home Depot, but Canadian) outside they had a clear-out of the garden plants no one had bought. And there, for 75% off – read 83 cents – were various tomato plants.

I bought three, felt quite proud of myself, and planted them. My dear darling husband, about a week later, in all his wisdom (or lack thereof) saw how happy I was with my new, and healthy acquisitions, suggested I buy more, and start a mini-tomato garden, beside the fence, on the other side of where I have my garden – which is a location proven to not have enough sunlight for healthy tomatoes.

About a week after my initial adventure, back to Rona I went, hopeful.  Lo and behold, they still had many on the rack. So I bought twelve plants, a big bag of good soil, and two landscaping ties. We had a project. We made a nice space, he cut the ties to the right size for the area, he dug up the grass, we mixed the good soil with what was there, and I planted my new tomatoes.

I’ve been diligent. I have watered them every day. Fertilized once a week. Staked them. Talked to them. Not threats, I’ve talked nice. After the advice of a friend, I have put crushed eggshells around the outer edges, that is supposed to keep slugs from crossing into the tomatoes, and something in the shells is supposed to be good for the plants. I forget exactly what. I only am following his good instructions.

And here they are today. They are tall and healthy, and have dozens of little tomatoes, and even more flowers, that will become tomatoes.

 

 

 

Here is a photo of one of my tomatoes from the front, my initial purchase of three plants. Isn’t it beautiful?

 

 

 

I’m very proud of my tomatoes. When they are ripe, I plan to sprout alfalfa seeds, which I am going to buy from my local health food store (yes, another project). The best lunches in the world are tomato and alfalfa sprout and Swiss cheese (the real thing, cheese with holes, not the processed stuff) with Miracle Whip on toasted whole wheat bread.

I don’t have a picture of that yet, but if you want to follow me on Facebook, there will be photos in September.

Happy Summer!

Gail

ABOUT THE WRITER/GARDENER:

Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she and her husband are recent empty nesters and greanparents. Gail Sattler has over 40 published novels and novellas, plus a few works of non-fiction. When she’s not writing she plays bass for an Elton John tribute band as well as a community jazz band. Gail is a workshop leader, public speaker, and the OCW critique group moderator. When she’s not at her computer or making music (or at her day job) Gail likes to sit back and read a book written by someone else, accompanied by a good cup of hot coffee.

Connect with Gail at:

Gail Sattler’s blog – What Goes On In The Mind Of A Writer:  Facebook  –Gail Sattler’s Facebook author page

 

THE OTHER NEIGHBOR

By Gail Sattler

Cheryl Richardson doesn’t know that her landlord who owns the other half of the duplex where she lives is plotting to build a bomb—but the FBI does. In order to discover what her landlord is planning to blow up, agent Steve Gableman moves next door to get closer to Cheryl to learn what she knows, namely the target and motive, so they can stop it. But when Steve involves himself in every area of her life, including her dog, will Cheryl be the one to explode?

BUY LINK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Off to the Races by Christa MacDonald

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A Writer's Garden, Christa MacDonald, Christian romance, clean romance, contemporary romance, Garden blog, seedlings, The Redemption Road, tomatoes

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Christa MacDonald who will be showing off this year’s seedlings.

Welcome, Christa!

 

Off to the Races

by Christa MacDonald

As much as the early part of the year seems to drag along garden-wise, it truly accelerates once spring gets here. All winter long I dream and plan for the next year’s garden. Whether seed catalogues, gardening vlogs, or actual TV shows, I absorb every bit of information that I can find. From perusing plant varieties and buying seeds to counting off square feet in back yard, I plot and plan in happy anticipation. This is the phase of gardening that makes the long winters here in New England bearable. When the seeds start arriving after January I line up the packets in rows by plant date and count down the days until it’s time to get my fingers in dirt.

This year I lost my mind and started six varieties of tomato from seed.

I have almost fifty tomato plants, and this is after I thinned them out twice while potting them from tray to pot to bigger pot. It’s insane, since I have room for just about twenty at a push. It’s nice to have the extras to give to family and friends. Along with the bevy of tomatoes, I’ve also got melons, chilies, and a few flowers growing. Everything else will be direct sow. The radishes and peas that I had planted outside have had a brush or two with the lingering cold. After our last frost date it will be everybody in the pool.

Once June hits and everything is up and running, it will be all go, go, go; weeding, harvesting, etc. The pace is steady in summer. You really can’t skip a day or you’ll be overrun. It actually reminds me of when I am working on a series in my writing life. I’ll be working on book two while still promoting book one and plotting book three. It’s hectic and demanding, but ultimately rewarding. I love that time in late summer where you can sit in the garden and appreciate the beauty. There’s less work at the end, more enjoyment. That’s true in the literary world as well. After my trilogy was completed in 2018 I began work on a new project, but there wasn’t a deadline looming, and so none of the pressure.

In gardening there are definitely deadlines. Ask anyone who missed the window on sowing peas or starting tomatoes. The deadlines are changeable as well. Have a mild winter and suddenly everything is two weeks ahead. A late spring holds everything back, freezing off buds and killing the seedlings of impatient early gardeners. In the garden you’re at the mercy of nature. In writing you’re at the mercy of your own nature. Without an editor prodding you along you have to find a way to keep yourself motivated and on task. For some it’s second nature; for me… I find a million reasons not to write and they’re all sensible. I’m so good at talking myself out of getting a thing done. I wish I could steal some of my garden-motivation, but it simply doesn’t translate.

The world is still on lockdown and existential angst is usually just a news story away, but my tomatoes are gorgeous. Joy fills my heart when I look at these beauties.

There’s just nothing like taking something from seed to harvest. It’s that ‘creator joy’. I wonder if God feels it when He looks at His creation. I was recently reading through my first book to look for quotes to use for a promo and I had one of those blissful moments where I read a line and asked myself, “I wrote this?” I don’t know which feeling is better, that or watching something that was grown from seed finally bloom. I’m hoping that after all my seedlings are in the ground I’ll have the motivation to write a few more of those. Happy gardening and writing, friends.

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Christa MacDonald is a lifelong gardener and writer living in New England despite its terribly short growing season. She’s the author of the Sweet River Redemption contemporary Christian romance series. The final book in the series, The Redemption Road, is now available.

Social media link: Website

 

The Redemption Road

by Christa MacDonald

It’s redemption that he needs, and she’ll pay any price to help him find it.

As the new game warden in Sweet River, Alex Moretti is focused on enforcing Maine’s wildlife laws and little else. Moving from tragedy to a fresh start, all he wants is a way to fix his life in the tranquility of the north woods. Until he meets Annie Caldwell at Coffee by the Book. But his own bitter, dark life is a threat to Annie’s sweetness and light. It’s better for him to stay away.

Annie doesn’t know how to label her relationship with Alex, but she is determined to figure it out. After a few false starts and a kiss under the Christmas lights, their romance goes from fiction to fact. Annie has fallen hard. Then trouble shows up. Someone is stalking Alex, seeking to punish him for a mistake which ended in deadly consequences. When Annie becomes a target, he tries to push her away, but she won’t abandon him. Alex is desperate to keep Annie safe while he attempts to reconcile the past, but what he really needs is redemption. And she will risk her life to help him find it.

A Writer’s Garden with Lillian Duncan

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Deception, garden poetry, Lillian Duncan, Sisters by Choice series, tomatoes

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Lillian Duncan. Welcome, Lillian.

 

I’m not much of a gardener. Actually, who am I kidding? I’m not a gardener at all. I do, however, love the products that come out of a vegetable garden, especially tomatoes. In my world, I have five seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter, and TOMATO season! I wait all year for tomato season.

Ronny Gardening

 

Lucky for me, I’m married to a man who loves to garden. Unlike me, he loves to play in the dirt and do what it takes to grow those wonderful tomatoes along with a variety of other veggies. And, yes, he plants flowers for us as well.

 

 

 

 

 

So I’m not a gardener but I am a writer. I wrote a poem about The Master Gardener that is in my novel, Deception. Without further ado, here’s my poem:

 

The Master Gardener

 

I want a garden of peace and joy

where it matters not

if the sun shines,

if the rain falls,

if the wind blows.

My life is a rocky patch of dirt and soil

filled with pebbles of pain and problems,

filled with weeds of worry and grief,

filled with rocks of rebellion and wrongdoing.

Nothing good can grow in this rocky patch of mine.

But God is the Master Gardener.

He can change this rocky patch to a garden of peace and joy.

 

Let God till the dirt and soil.

He can change the weeds of worry to wisdom.

He can change the pebbles of pain to compassion.

He can change the rocks of rebellion to a spirit of submission.

 

God is the Master Gardener.

He can change that rocky patch to a garden of peace and joy.

 

Let the Holy Spirit sow the seeds.

He can plant the seeds of forgiveness, mercy and grace.

He can plant the seeds of goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.

He can plant the seeds of patience, tolerance, and self-control.

 

God is the Master Gardener.

He can change that rocky patch to a garden of peace and joy.

 

Let Jesus share the fruits of His labor.

He will give you guidance.

He will give you love and fellowship.

He will give you a friend who never leaves.

 

God is the Master Gardener.

He can change that rocky patch to a garden of peace and joy.

 

I found a garden of peace and joy

where it matters not

if the sun shines, the rain falls

or the wind blows.

 

God is the Master Gardener.

© Lillian Duncan Do not reproduce without express written consent from the author

 

Deception is the first in my Sisters By Choice series and features a set of estranged twins that couldn’t be more different from each other or so it seems. Patti is a go-by-the-rulebook type of person while Jamie is a “free spirit” or at least that’s the persona she portrays to the world. But Deception is the title of the book and that means there are more than a few surprises waiting as the story unfolds.

Amazon Link for DECEPTION

 

About the Gardener/Writer:

Lillian Duncan: stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem!

Lillian is a multi-published writer with several Amazon bestsellers. Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read—fast-paced suspense with a touch or two of sweet romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us

Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word. To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: http://www.lillianduncan.net/ or at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes, her personal blog at www.lillian-duncan.com. She also has a devotional blog at www.powerupwithGod.com.

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden with Donna Schlachter

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A Writer's Garden, Catherine Castle’s garden blog series, Donna Schlachter, garden devotional, Mail Order Brides Collection, tomatoes

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

 

Donna Schlachter is my guest today with a garden devotional that includes one of my favorite garden vegetables.

 

Abundantly Multiplied

By Donna Schlachter

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God

2 Corinthians 9:10-11 The Message

 

Each spring I plant tomato plants, My husband Patrick loves fresh tomatoes, so the reality of it is that except for him, I’d never plant them. So I buy the plants and put them in. We usually get two or three different kinds – early producers and late producers.

When we plant those little spindly plants, my thoughts are, “I’ll never see tomatoes from these, The first wind will knock them over.” Yet I water, and I fertilize, and before I know it, my tomato plants have become tomato trees. Before you laugh, take a look at the one-pound tomato I harvested one year.

As I wonder at all the tomatoes we harvest each year, I’m amazed at what God can produce from one tiny seed. Not only the plant, but hundreds of tomatoes loaded with hundreds of seeds each, If every seed in every tomato were to germinate, we would have to move out of Denver, let alone move out of our house.

God’s provision for our food is truly amazing, and yet no less amazing is His provision for our spiritual growth as well. God plants one tiny seed of passion for some area of ministry in our hearts, and soon that seed takes over, consuming us, until we burst out of our boundaries and share with others around us.

God takes our desire to love and serve Him, and grows it big enough so we have the time and energy to serve others. He takes our obedience to give tithes and offerings, and returns our giving to us multiplied, pressed down and flowing over. God takes our longing to be loved, and gives us so much it flows out into other areas of our lives.

As you consider how God takes something as small as a tomato seed and multiplies it into tomato trees, consider how He does the same thing in different areas of your life. Look for seed to plant in the form of prayer. If there is a longing in your heart, ask God to fulfill it. If you have a passion you would like to put to work for Him, ask Him to open doors and provide whatever you need to accomplish that.

 

About the Gardener/Writer

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, her first-line editor and biggest fan. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid author who has published a number of books. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters In Crime, and Writers on the Rock; facilitates a local critique group, and teaches writing classes and courses. Donna is also a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is proud to be represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.

Connect with Donna at http://www.historythrutheages.wordpress.com/

Train Ride to Heartbreak

by Donna Schlachter

October 1895

Mary Johannson has scars on her body that can’t compare with the scars on her heart. She is alone in the world, with no family, no prospects, and no home.

John Stewart is at his wit’s end. His wife of three years died in childbirth, leaving him with a toddler and an infant, both girls. Theirs was the love of fairy tales, and while he has no illusions about finding another like her, his children need a mother.

Though separated by thousands of miles, they commit to a mail-order marriage. But on their journey to Heartbreak, they meet another and realize the life they’d planned would be a lie. Can they find their way back from the precipice and into the love of God and each other, or are they destined to keep their word and deny their heart?

Want to read more? Check out Donna’s story on Amazon

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Through the Garden Gates with Morgan K. Wyatt

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A Writer's Garden--Through the Garden Gates with Morgan K Wyatt, beefsteak tomatoes, Catherine Castle's garden blog, Garden blog, heirloom tomatoes, tomatoes

photo by Morgan K. Wyatt

The Tomato Plant that Wouldn’t Die

Let me preface this by saying I like tomato plants and gardening. I don’t set out to kill plants. In fact, any errant plant that pops up in my garden I’ll allow it to grow and until it shows me it’s a weed, then it’s history. Currently, I have honeydew, cantaloupe and acorn squash thriving in my garden I didn’t plant. All you composters out there, don’t compost seeds. What does all this have to do with a tomato plant?

Plenty. Gardening is a major love of mine with the tomato plant being the heart of the planting season. The tomato plants always produce plentifully ensuring late summer batches of salsa. This year was different for several reasons. A healthier eating style encouraged me to plant almost every vegetable we’d regularly consume. Put in two extra gardens to handle the demand, and planting a few melons along the fencerow. I have two major enemies of young plants, rabbits and my dog.

The rabbits enjoy new plants and seedlings while my dog alternates between watering them and nipping off the blossoms. My answer to these problems was chicken wire and bobcat urine. Each bed had an impenetrable fence worthy of Fort Knox. A heavy dose of bobcat urine powder kept the varmints away. Didn’t do much for flying insects or birds, though. A bird net went over the fencing.

I only planted two tomato plants in my garden, a cherry, and beefsteak one. Last year, my overabundance of tomatoes had my neighbors eventually hiding from me when they saw me with my tomato basket. Two plants should be more than enough for two people.

Something weird happened this summer. It rained. Might not sound like a big deal to you, but drought and triple-digit temperatures are the norms for central Indiana. Cooler temperatures and constant rain had my beefsteak tomato plants leaves turning up. Always on the lookout for any type of disease, this had me searching the gardening sites for answers. The plant could be suffering from anything from insect infestation to a fungus that would contaminate the entire garden. The same garden where herbs, peppers, and broccoli resided. Similar to all those who search symptoms online I assumed the worst, a fungus that would cause my garden plot to be unusable for years!

The beefsteak tomato plant would have to go before the garden was history. The website advised cutting open the roots once you pulled up the plant to check for the fungus. A contaminated plant would have an oozy black interior. My enormous plant spread about five feet wide. It took some effort to cut back the branches even to get to the stem. I lifted the much smaller plant to the picnic table for the primitive autopsy. A slender cut with the steak knife revealed a green interior oozing water. The plant wasn’t sick. I’d ripped a vigorous, growing plant out of the ground. Killed it. I was a plant killer. A very bad thing to be when you’re a gardener, a plant lover.

Embarrassed at my misdiagnoses, I stuck the remnant of the plant back in the ground and watered it. Stupid Internet site. I reviewed other causes of folded leaves. One reason was the plant was getting too much water and not enough sun. Hmm, that sounded more likely than the garden killing fungus.

As for the plant, despite ravages caused by a paranoid gardener, the plant continues to grow and produce tomatoes like crazy. Then there was the day I found the evil tomato caterpillars. My shrieking startled the neighbor’s dog. My dog knew I took my gardening too seriously and only opened his eyes from his prone position on the lawn.

Now, I like to take a live and let live attitude about most creatures, but tomato caterpillars do not get that luxury. The little beasts met their death under my flip-flop. As for the plants, they’re doing well-producing dozens of tomatoes. My hardy beefsteak plant has returned to his overwhelming size despite my vicious pruning.

Consider that rabbits, a grazing canine, weird weather, the dreaded tomato caterpillar and a neurotic gardener all plagued the defenseless vegetable plant. It deserves a shot of plant food and should be immortalized in gardening history as the plant that would not die.

 

 

About the Author:

Author Morgan K Wyatt came into gardening organically, as a farmer’s daughter. Her favorite thing about gardening is the miracle of the seed, which is why she prefers to start plants from seeds. She’ll also never pull a volunteer veggie, but will transplant it to the appropriate section. When not elbows deep in the soil, she writes romantic suspense, contemporary and sweet romances. You can learn more at www.morgankwyatt.com.

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Through the Garden Gates with Gail Sattler

Tags

A Writer's Garden through the garden gates with Gail Sattler, Catherine Castle blog, crabapples, Guinea Pig lawnmower, strawberries, Summer Garden Update, tomatoes

 

Here it is mid-summer and I have an update on my gardening efforts. Unfortunately my tomatoes in the back are not doing well, but the ones I put in a planter in the front where they the scorching heat of the day are doing very well. I hope to have some delicious salad additions quite soon.

 

 

 

In the back, my crabapple tree had been trimmed in the late spring, and now it his heavy with crabapples that look like they will be ready in a few weeks. If anyone has some good recipes for what to do with them, please post them. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

My strawberries in my ex-sandbox turned garden continue to do well, we had some delicious berries this spring, here is a photo of how much the plants have multiplied.

 

 

 

And my last photo is of a little helper we have recently acquired. His name is Ignacious – Iggy the Piggy – a guinea pig. A month ago our local news station had a feature about a retired couple living in West Vancouver, BC who hadn’t run their lawnmower for about 6 years. Instead, they have 6 or 7 guinea pigs who go out into the back yard every day and not only mow the grass, but they fertilize it, too. So we put our new guinea pig in the back yard, protected by a little cover to keep him save from predatory birds. We still need to use the lawnmower, but he loves to help keep the lawn in shape.

If you want to make any addition comments or email me a recipe instead of posting it here, please email me from my website – www.gailsattler.com

Gardener/writer Gail Sattler has only been gardening a few years, but has fallen in love with growing. Her favorite part of gardening is seeing new buds in the spring, and watching in the summer as the tomatoes grow larger, then redder, than they were the day before.

When she’s not gardening she is either at her day job, or at band practice, or writing tales of sweet and inspirational romantic comedy.

You’re invited to see more about Gail at her website at www.gailsattler.com.