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I waited so long for the garden to come up. I planted the weekend before the May long, and with our late start to spring, it seemed like everything was slow to make an appearance. The potatoes and the rhubarb were fluffing out nicely early on, but in my most concerned moments as I glanced over my rectangle of dirt, I wondered if I'd have produce at all. How easily we doubt. How patient we are not.

It was after a stretch of rain in June that lasted five days, followed by some solid sunshine, that the garden exploded. Leafy and green replaced small and sparse, and--could it be--were those the start of actual vegetables? I got very excited.

The rest of the summer was a daily check to see what was ready, what was almost ready, and what needed to be tended to so it could get ready. The peas and rhubarb were ready first. Soon I was enjoying many a spinach salad with my own spinach. And shortly after that, zucchini and beans became part of my supper routine.

Now here we are at the end of August. The peas were done last week. The beans finished out this weekend, and the rhubarb is not far behind. The cucumber is appreciative of the extra space it has to sprawl, now that I've pulled the unproductive pea and bean plants from the ground. I am expecting several more zucchini before it's decided it's had enough. The tomatoes are exploding, and make an excellent part of my daily lunches. I have enjoyed some carrots and potatoes, but am pretty much leaving the root vegetables as late as possible.

I have definitely come to appreciate the varying life cycles of different vegetables. It would have been impossible to deal with all of them at the same time. Instead, each became ready for harvest at a different part of the season. It kept my garden responsibilities from becoming overwhelming, and it gave me a chance to enjoy each item in turn, rather than madly trying to cook and create meals with all the vegetables at once. I seem to have planted just enough for me and a bit to share. .......And I was worried my garden wouldn't even grow!

There is some awesome Creator working those vegetables. It has been a blast to work along side Him.