Fall Gardening

Since we were away for a week, I prayed hard like Elijah for rain. Sunny Florida scorches plants so readily. And when we came back, our plants were just fine. The tomatoes and peppers have fruit on them. And the sweet potatoes are growing wild. The herbs are even doing fine. Hooray for answered prayer.

Our seedlings, though, have only been indoors and a friend kindly watered them for me. They are now ready for transplanting. So far we have radish, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, parsley, basil, and tarragon. The chives and rosemary are not really coming up. We also have flowers growing outside: zinnia, cosmos, and marigold. We'll start other seedlings too: peas, carrots, and cherry tomatoes.

Starting plants from seeds is a major accomplishment for me. My fear of failure has kept me from using seeds for a long time. I've only bought plants that are already at least 5 inches tall. Ever since that first plant we bought died on me, I've become a very insecure gardener. I remember that aloe vera plant well. One day it just fell off the dang pot! Rolled right off. Who kills aloe vera?

Gardening is more rewarding that I expected. We only have a few pots to manage but still harvest enough to use for at least one meal a week. Since the weather here is conducive to year round gardening, I am looking forward to trying out new vegetables to plant. Maybe by next spring, I'll have enough to even give away!