The Garden is in, lets see how it grows....

   I love tomato's!  Since growing large tomato's just isn't doable up at elevation, I'm trying a medium size variety.  Roma tomato's. We'll try to grow them in pots up on the deck where it's a lot warmer.

   We just have a small plot, but we've got about 10 different veggies growing.  I think the peas will do the best again.  They seem to just thrive in the cooler environment up here.

   Grow my little pumpkins grow!  Crossing my fingers they get bigger than a golf ball this year.

   Here's our attempt at corn again.  I'm thinking it just isn't going to work until we can build a greenhouse.  I don't think it gets hot enough during the day for the corn.  I plan on planting marigolds all the way around the bed and placing mothballs in the corners as an attempt to keep the deer and elk out.  Mountain gardening should be fun and interesting.  This weekend I'm going to prepare beds for flower seeds.  I have Columbine's of course, but I also have many other varieties including Lupines.  We're reading Miss Rumphius right now and talking about the Lupine lady, I couldn't not get them.  I hope they grow as well in my rocky beds as they did for Miss Rumphius and her rocky ground by the sea.
   My real work with the flowers this year is to begin planting a Marian Garden.  I love the simple beauty of flowers.   A really interesting book on the history of the Marian Garden is Mary's Flowers: Gardens, Legends, & Meditations by Vincenzina Krymow.   It can be found here .  I want to create a sanctuary over time.  Mary's flowers, a statue of Mary, and perhaps a bench to sit and meditate with a comforting cup of tea.  I truly hope that by meditating on the meaning of each bloom we plant, my spiritual garden will flourish as well.  Meditation is extremely hard for me.  I just can't quiet my mind.   A beautiful prayer sanctuary is something I consider a necessity.