Unexpected Beauty In Letting Go

Hollyhocks, self sown, are among my favorites this year.
They help welcome everyone to the garden.

I have been looking out my window at the summer flowers in my garden and thinking about how much I have enjoyed them this year.  This is in spite of the fact that most of them were planted where they are without any help from me and grow in places I would have never wanted to plant them.

The wanderers
Jacob Cline Monarda and Cooley's Hedge Nettle

Between the mole moving bits of roots and bulbs around to things self sowing, it has become a surprise every year as to what will come up where and the garden has become less and less of what I planned it to be and more of a wild child.  In spite this the flowers are still performing beautifully...maybe more so than when I wielding control of it.

Adenaflora...Under the Quince tree?
I never planted it there!

I have spent many days in angst over what I have defined as the crying child who I am unable to console.  By that I mean I can no longer keep it weeded and keep plants in their places.  But as I think about what I have witnessed this year I have to say, in spite of this anxiety there has been a blessing  born in every new batch of flowers that open up...fantastic, beautiful, sweet and bold flowers!

This garden is a far cry from the well groomed, regularly mulched garden with trimmed chamomile pathways and plants kept within bounds that I used to maintain.  And as I consider what I am witnessing I think I have a huge lesson God is teaching me...I need to relax a lot more.  He has shown me that control does not give me what I think it will.  It only serves to make me feel I need to always be in control.  And if my efforts are all spent on control, how much do I miss out on when I am so focused on needing to be in control?  I think I have missed out on a lot of opportunities to see His beauty in my life because of this. But am hopeful for the future as I let go and let Him have His way as I remember that nothing is loss in God's economy.

Astrantia major doing a major job of self sowing
where Iris siberica 'David' also grows.

If you can relate to what I am saying then I encourage you to take today and try to enjoy the blooms you find in your life, especially those that pop up in unexpected and seemingly unwanted places.  And don't be afraid of let go of those plans for your life.  Let them go and hit the ground and let God raise them up like an emerging plant from a seed buried in the soil emerges in the right time.  Letting God direct and design the plan for our lives will bring about His best for us.

Bronze fennel self sowed amid the tulips
and I loved it!

Make room for what God wants to grow in your life, surrender to the Master Gardener.  Lay down the shovel of self-will, the wheel barrow of pride, the hoe of anxiety and the rake of rebellion and the tiller of selfish ambition and let His eternal beauty will begin to bloom in the garden of your life.  Ask Him for help if you are struggling with this.  I had to, my entire identity used to be tied to this garden back in the day.  I prayed to God that if it was not a place where He would be glorified and where people would be able to experience His love that He would take it from me.  He hasn't taken it from me but He has changed the garden and at the same time has changed my hearts desire for it.

Designed by my team of moles
Garden Phlox behind Nectaroscordum
Not bad, Not bad at all.

God's will is for our good; a good that is more often defined differently than we define it but in the end will bring forth such amazing beauty where only the weeds of sin once grew. May His beauty be born out in your life today as you start trusting Him for your future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."



Copyright © 2012 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Ground Cherries; Kid Food In The Garden

Meet the Ground Cherry - Physalis pruinosa

Have you ever eaten a ground cherry before?  I recommend you try them if you haven't. They are becoming more popular again and are in my opinion one of the more delightful kid-friendly veggies we can grow in our gardens.

Sweet fruit with a complex flavor

These interesting plants have been grown in American gardens for nearly two centuries and were first documented in 1837 in Pennsylvania.  However it is only recently they have been rediscovered and have again found favor with gardeners.  Native Americans and the settlers loved them and they were important enough for settlers to bring seeds with them across the Oregon Trail.  Actually, until I became interested in plants the pioneers brought across the Oregon Trail I hadn't heard of them before.

Ground Cherry is closely related to tomatoes and has just a hint of that relationship in its flavor which is a complex mixture of sweet pineapple, vanilla, ripe plum and tomato, (hard to describe but so good).  The plants produce an abundance of small fruit that look like miniature tomatillo, another close cousin.

Ready for little hands to gather up.

When the fruit is ready to be harvested the husk turns a ripe wheat color, the little stems let go of the branch and the ripe fruit falls to the ground in its little protective husk...thus the name ground cherry.   There is no question as to when the fruit is ripe that way and that papery husk protects the fruit from the soil like a candy wrapper making it perfect kid food!

Look Ma!  No dirt!

Husks make little handles.
What fun!

Ground cherries can be used in pies, preserves, salsas or chutney and best of all eaten fresh and warm from the summer garden.

Seeds for next year?  Sure why not!

If you want to save seed for next year here's a little photo tutorial to help you along.

Smash fruit in water in a dish

Seeds are sticky, water is a must.

After a few rinses just seeds and water left.

Pour onto a couple of coffee filters to dry.

Coffee filters work best to wick away the water from the seeds so they dry quickly.  Be sure the seeds are kept in the shade while drying.  I put mine on my kitchen counter near the window but not in sunlight to dry.

When the seeds are dry you can package them up in little seed envelopes you can create yourself or use #1 coin envelopes like I do.  Store them in a dark, dry, cool place until time to sow for next year.

Speaking of sowing...these plants will self sow in moderate to warm climates if fruit is left on the ground, just like cherry tomatoes.  The seedlings transplant easily so either way, whether you collect and save seed or just leave the fruit on the ground, you can have more plants for next year and probably some to share with your garden pals.

Happy Gardening!


Copyright © 2011 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

Kid Friendly Ground Cherries

Are you looking for veggies that are kid friendly to add to your garden?  Here is one that is perfect for the kiddos...Ground Cherries!  There are a few varieties such as the heirloom "Aunt Mollies" or newer "Pineapple" ground cherry and though it looks like a miniature tomatillo it tastes a lot different and makes a sweet treat for little ones in the garden.  Here let me show you.

What could be more perfect than a fruit that falls to the ground when ripe and is protected by its own little paper husk?  No worries about if its not ripe.  It tells the kids when its ready for them to eat!

They just pick one up off the ground, peel back the protective husk which also makes a handy little handle...

Gold means they are sweet and ready to eat.

and bite or pull the fruit off the husk with no mess, no fuss and toss the husk on the ground.

Saving seeds from them is easy too!

Light reveals the little seeds inside the Ground Cherries.

Smashing the fruit gets seeds on your fingers, a little water will rinse off into the bowl.

Water helps separate the seed from the flesh of the fruit.  Pick out large pieces first.

Seed is washed clean with a couple of careful rinses...don't pour water off too fast or seeds will wash away too.

Inexpensive coffee filters help quickly dry seeds for storage

The seeds tend to stick to the filter a little bit when they are finally dry and can be unstuck by lightly scratching them with one's fingernail.  Then all that is needed is to pour the dry seed into an envelope or small container for storing.

Ground cherries self sow like cherry tomatoes do so if you leave fruit on the ground it will produce some seedlings for you.  Personally I like plants that self sowing...its simple, just let nature takes it's course and there will have plants with no labor...save maybe transplanting the seedlings if needed.

So if you have a friend who has them ask for some fruit to save seeds from or if you need to purchase seed,
Nichol's Garden Nursery, Territorial Seed Company, and Baker Creek all sell seeds for this sweet little plant so plan on adding them to your garden for the kiddo's next year.