Summer rains

Since the summer rains have begun, the daylilies, sunflowers and cosmos have begun to flower. The grass now requires a weekly "haircut" and the frogs are singing on a daily basis as they celebrate the returning moisture.



Another result of the rain is mushrooms. Several have popped up along the driveway.



The tomatoes continue to grow, some successfully, some not. There are people who have so many tomatoes that they give away bushels and bushels. I am not yet one of those people. As a matter of fact, the tomato plant that has produced most successfully so far, was a volunteer!



Still, I look forward to my annual tomato adventure. As with many other areas of my life, each year I learn a little more and make a little more progress.

Summer is here

I know that Summer doesn't officially begin for a few more days, but my garden says that it's summertime.

My "garden guardin' goddess" is ready for her second season. She could stand to have a bit more spanish moss hair, and her garden twine dress has seen better days, but she's happy to be in the yard where she can enjoy the sun, breezes, and growing things. This summer I may make a sister or two to join her.

Now that the rains have returned, the yard is starting to fill up with plants and flowers.

The tomato plants have reached the point where they present a ripe tomato each day when I come home. That may not be a big deal to a lot of people, but my tomato growing history is not a happy one.



The first tomato plants I grew were taller than me -- and had no fruit. They had spent all of their energy growing green stuff, not red stuff.
The next time I tried, I did have some nice tomatoes ripening on the plants, until the bugs and animals got to them before I did.

This year I decided to try grape and cherry tomatoes . . .

Success at last!

I think they're too small to catch the attention of the critters, so I've been able to enjoy my tomatoes this year.


Meanwhile, the flowers are flourishing.

Seeds planted several weeks ago are sprouting and starting to bud and bloom.


The sunflowers, while small, are continuing to grow, as are the cosmos, marigolds and zinnias. The garden is full of splashes of yellow, orange, and red.

The bees and lizards and dragonflies zip around the yard using my bamboo stakes as launching and landing pads.

I really enjoy seeing the wild creatures enjoying the garden.

Excuse me, I think I hear my garden calling . . .

Rain!

The rain is finally returning to our area.

It has been dreadfully dry - so dry that my sunflowers barely reach my knee. In the past they have grown taller than I am - usually well over six feet high.

I have watered my garden plants enough to keep them alive, but they always respond better to rain. At the beginning of May, when the rains first began, everything perked up and looked much greener even after the most brief rain shower. I'm looking forward to seeing how my garden grows with sufficient rain.

It seems that our lives are like that. We have basic needs that must be met, and we seek ways to meet those needs that aren't always authentic. We may grow a little, but that growth is stunted when we substitute a "good enough" solution for the best.

So, how do you know what's best for you? The words of Plato come to mind:
"Know thyself."

Abraham Maslow describes a hierarchy of needs .

Douglas B. Richardson offers this career advice.

Numerous sites offer quizzes that will "reveal" your personality and more. When taken with a grain of salt, they can be entertaining and somewhat informative. (If nothing else, you will learn whether on not you enjoy quizzes!)

While it may take some effort on your part, you will be delighted when you learn to recognize the "rain" you need to help you grow to your full potential.