Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Dancing at the Elks tonight!!
We were up early because we needed to go to H&H Nursery, our favorite place to shop for veggies. They had a super selection, and the plants were less expensive than those at Roger’s Gardens.
Mary found some peppers we use all the time, so they went directly into the cart.
Being picky!
It took us a while to go through all the shelves of veggies they had on display. We stumbled upon some that we didn’t even know existed! They were like the hidden treasures of the veggie world—who knew potato-flavored mint was a thing?
Decisions decisions!
We had to stop shopping because the cart was packed to the brim, and Mary had to carry the last three items, which were red, white, and blue petunias, by hand.
We are done; the cart is full!
Petunias, originating in South America, are known for their vibrant flowers and are part of the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco. Their name comes from the Tupi-Guarani word “petun,” meaning “tobacco” but more accurately “a kind of tobacco that doesn’t make a good smoke.”
Petunia blooms are edible, provided they’re not sprayed with pesticides.
They are sometimes used in salads and cocktails, with a supposedly sweet and slightly spicy taste.
In the past, gifting petunias was considered an insult, carrying the message “I don’t like you”. However, this meaning is now forgotten, and petunias are happily gifted.
Petunias are among the most popular flowering annuals for a good reason. Petunias are bright and lively, bloom from spring until frost, and scent the air with a lovely fragrance. Best of all, petunias are amazingly easy to grow in the garden and in containers. There are hundreds of named petunia varieties.
We also bought three bags (and got one free) of potting soil to backfill where we lost soil from picking the veggies.
The Silver Fox is becoming a pickup truck.
We took everything back in two loads, but this was done with a two-wheeled wheelbarrow! A two-wheeled wheelbarrow is sometimes referred to as a “garden cart” or a “utility cart.”
Load #2 is ready to go!
It was a fantastic day for gardening. The sun was warm, and the breeze kept us cool! Why do we garden instead of just going to the market you ask? Here are some reasons!
- “Plant a seed, nurture a dream, harvest a bounty.”
- “From soil to table, the joy of homegrown goodness.”
- “Gardening: where patience is a virtue and the harvest a reward.”
- “Get your hands dirty and your heart full of fresh vegetables.”
- “The garden is a canvas, and vegetables are the colors of a healthy life.”
- “In every seed, a promise of a delicious future.”
- “Don’t just grow vegetables; cultivate happiness.”
- “The best salad starts with a garden.”
- “A garden is a place where nature and nourishment meet.”
- “Gardening: where hard work yields the sweetest rewards.”
Now for the long walk to the garden!
While I was outside, Mary worked inside and came out to pick veggies. Cabbage and onions will be ready for Monday’s soireé.
Picking veggies for Monday night’s corned beef dinner.
The grapes are a little ahead of schedule because it will be Spring in four days (March 20th), and they have already started blooming. In another 70 days, we will be picking grapes.
The grapes are starting to come out of hibernation!
Because of the darned wabbits, I planted onions around all the new plants. Wabbits and other critters do not like onions! Onions, due to their strong scent, naturally repel pests like aphids, cabbage loopers, carrot flies, Colorado potato beetles, and rabbits, making them useful companion plants in the garden.
Onions keep the pests away!
Well, I was not yet done, but my back was totally done! At 2:00 p.m., I headed inside, and we got ready for this evening’s Irish Soireé at the Santa Ana Elks! We wished Colleen was here to join us so we could have all three daughters!
Everyone was dressed in green, looking like a parade of leprechauns who had lost a bet!
Inside, everyone was also dressed in green, looking like a walking salad bar. I half-expected someone to start tossing croutons!
Hello ladies!
We were dressed to the 9s! Many people complimented me on the coat!
Fun at the Elks!
The music was indeed Irish and we danced until we dropped! Bob was putting on the brakes so he would not hit the table!
Bob put on the brakes!
Gail (a longtime friend) and her daughter, Danika, joined us this evening. She has not had a partner since Bob passed several years ago, so Mary sent me off to do the honors!
Gail and Paul danced a jig!
It was time to go home. We were slightly toasted after all the celebrating, so Bob went to get the Silver Fox so he could drive us home. We had three glasses of wine, so not driving was a proper decision!
Toasted? Yes indeed!
