9/11/08

The garden in harvest season


Some of you have noticed our scary zucchini vine.
I was a little concerned about it myself.
I mean, nobody really loves zucchini, right?
And this one is pretty intimidating.

Until, that is, I came home one day and M. had prepared this soup.
This glorious, savory soup.
This zucchini soup.
I will never turn my nose up at a melon-sized zucchini again.
Yes, the herbs are all from our gardens as well - thyme, mint and lavendar.
We are not gardeners.
I've said it before.
There's just something in the soil around here...


Only one of these came up...but it was a good one! It looked even prettier than the one on the seed packet! And it's ours.

Also from a seed packet.

We're not even sure where these came from. Nobody remembers planting cherry tomatoes...and yet we have them in both front and back gardens. Curiouser and curiouser...

This was from a wonderful high-altitude wildflower mix I got at Denver's Seed Company before it moved.

A couple of totally gratuitous pictures of Flynn on the lawn...just because she's so darned cute. The thing you can't really tell from the pictures is how little that face is. She's so miniature! It just kills me. I mean, how does she go from so small to adult-sized? How does that happen??
I can't stop myself from touching those cheeks every five minutes. She is the most insanely adorable thing I've ever laid eyes on in my life. We didn't grow her in Colorado soil...but she'll be Colorado-raised!

Aaaaaaaaaargh! Can you stand it? I can't. She. Is. Adorable.

One of the fruits of our triumphant (and also rather scary) pumpkin vine. I caught it trying to cross the road the other day. I think it was going for the neighbors. Actually, I think it might have eaten one or two of the neighbors.

On the plus side, if we don't find the time to take QQ to the pumpkin patch this year (which is altogether possible, as busy as this month is looking for us) we'll have one right here at home! At least she won't miss out on her first pumpkin patch.

Thanks to the unusual August rains...the second bloom this season of our favorite sunset-colored roses, which were the first to bloom in the spring! Ah, luxury.

Some sort of bean.

We still haven't identified it. QQ is as stumped as the rest of us. But it had pretty flowers!

The most perfect flower.

My beloved chocolate mint. And in bloom, to boot. Mmmmmmmm.

Fall flowers planted by LaoLao.

Flynn and her dad inspect one of the tomato beds.

It's a bumper crop.

Seriously. I hope she's not planning on getting any cuter. I might spontaneously combust.

Ahhhhh, the bounty of summer!

And look at that...we even got a second batch of strawberries this year! Totally unexpected.

Sigh. Lovely.

Who grew all this stuff? Couldn't have been us. We weren't even paying attention.

9 comments:

Mamacita said...

Will he share the recipe for the soup? Sigh. I love the smell of fresh thyme. The only thing that survived is basil, italian flat parsley and one cherry tomato plant that has given us two tiny tomatos. Now that its raining and cold, I probably won't get the green ones to ripen at all! There is decidedly something NOT in the soil here!

fourlittlehawks said...

While it's easy for me to believe that there IS magic in your garden soil - Maia, your green thumb intimidates and makes me feel inadequate. I have horrible, awful luck with anything that lives and grows in the earth. I can't even keep house plants thriving. Since I don't know if I'm contagious, I think it's best if I continue to admire your garden from afar. I seem to do fine with children and animals, so I'll just leave the gardening to you experts.
I know you say it all grew by accident, but I promise that couldn't have happened if I lived in your house.

Yoli said...

Oh my, I almost died when I saw that soup! It looks delicous! I love all of the decorating around it with herbs, it makes it all the more alluring. Please post the recipe!

I know what you mean about Flynn. She is obcenely cute and I would be doing the samething you are doing. Pinching them cheeks!

I love your garden and the mistery of its previous owner.

Loving the new yellow look in your blog, very soothing. Very Flynn.

Vivian M said...

MMMmmm cherry tomatoes! I am allergic to them now, but when we were little and living in Long Island, NY, we had the most prolific plant and would pick and eat them right there in the garden, so sweet!
You are blessed with wonderful soil, a green thumb and a great garden. Enjoy the summer bounty!
Now, for the Flynn cuteness factor...I think those cheeks deserve just...one...more...pinch!

Fliss and Mike Adventures said...

Ahhhh... what delicious looking soup... just looking at the flowers, vegetables etc even the sunshine... makes me want to go to Colorado - again... I never tire of that place...

Don't know if you can open this... just a few of the Colorado shots...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiefliss/sets/72157607031444659/

Margaret M said...

I love all of the pictures and the soup looks delicious. Wes makes an excellent zuccini spaghetti!!

Responding to the note you left...I love our Graeme's smile too and am worried about his pending palate surgery and if it will change that gorgeous grin! I can say that the one picture that I have of him pre-lip repair that his cleft lip pre-surgery was significantly wider than QQ's. Also, I have noticed that his smile seems to be a whole body/whole hearted experience and no surgery is going to change that!

Julie and Steve said...

You guys are so in love with that little girl - I just love to read your posts...and of course the photography - as always - AMAZING.

Tamara said...

One of the things we are really looking forward to having when we move to Denver is a real garden. I don't know if ours will ever look as good as yours, but at least we have something to aim for.

Flynn looks so cute in that hoodie!

Anonymous said...

So much richness for my eyes! You are so lucky you can hug that incredible child every day! She IS the cutest thing ever, you're right. (OK, to be loyal to YaYa she is the other cutest thing ever.) The flowers and garden are wonderful. I think you can partly attribute them to QQ. Before I left for China to get YaYa (in March and I live in the north, in Canada!) flowers started blooming all over in my house and even in my parents house 6 hours away. Roses! Passion flowers! There was definitely some powerful new energy coming into our homes. I'm very sure QQ has brought the extra plant qi with her. Finally, my vote has to go to that stunning peachy pink rose as best flower in your garden. UUmmmm!! That is what I'm talking about when I say pink. Got some sheets for YaYa's new big girl bed in a paler version of this and just melt every time I see them.
P.S. So glad you are up to visiting my blog sometimes now. I missed you! oxox