Pencildancers: Gardening by Imagination with Tina Pinson

Tina Pinson

Guest Post by Tina Pinson!

Imagining My Garden.

With a writer's imagination, I've written several books. Boy do I wish that imagination would work in my garden.

Because there… I wield the gardener's black thumb of death.

It wasn't always this way. In Colorado, I grew blackberries and pears and apples. I’d get squash, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, okra and more. I would can and freeze these fruits of my labor for use over the long winter months.

Then I moved to Arizona. So far, my gardener's green-thumb has gone as dormant as the nutrients in my sun-bleached soil.

Wahhh

I made raised beds, put in a mixture of soil like the man at the garden shop said, and put in my garden; peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, okra, brussel sprouts, squash, mint, basil, sweet mint, parsley, and oregano, cause the man at the garden said anything will grow here. The plants looked so healthy at the garden shop.

I planted my garden, talking nicely to my plants as I tucked them in their beds, so they'd know what they meant to me. Then I sat back with a basket to gather all the fruits that would be falling off my vines. Ha.

It was as if the plants were dormant themselves. I got a couple of little tomatoes and watched a squash flower bloom and saw it begin to grow. I cheered it on like an Olympic coach. I got some clippings from my herbs that I could dry and use fresh in meals. Yum.

But soon, things began to shrivel. The herbs, which I sat inside, were the first to go. I planted and bought new ones. Same scenario. I saw more squash blooms, more shady leaves of green, but no squash. No tomatoes. Nothing.

Then came June and the plants managed to eke out more tomatoes and a couple of peppers. I grew jars full in Colorado.

My okra was blooming full force. I expected the stalk to shoot up and give me a bounty.

Again, Ha

Shortly into June came the 110+ days and dust storms. I had planted in a place where there wasn't full sun but… but that didn't stop the wind. I watered faithfully so my plants wouldn't scorch, but I could almost hear the moisture being sucked out of them. It was amazing, my plants wouldn't grow, but the weeds would.

For all my toiling, I ended up with two tomatoes, no squash, a couple okra, a few peppers and a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes and a touch of herbs.

I was so frustrated, I yanked the tomatoes and squash out. The strawberries had long since given up the ghost, as had the Brussel Sprouts.

I'm babying some peppers and okra, in 113 heat. It doesn't look good for them.

Too bad I can't just grow a garden with my imagination.

Tina,

My garden experience was much the same his year. Maybe next year we'll have better weather.

Did anyone have a great garden? Tell us about it.

Tina Pinson writes books too! She's give one a way to one person who comments below. You'll get to pick from one of these : In the Manor of the Ghost, Touched By Mercy or When Shadows Fall. Give away ends September 6 at midnight CST!!!

Diana

When Shadows Fall

Here's a little blurb about When Shadows Fall

The Civil War rages, and Rebekah fights to keep her world intact. Loss and sorrow seeps into her heart. Her sights on Oregon, she prays New Eden will be a place of peace for her and her son. A refuge. She travels to Missouri to start her journey and is denied the opportunity to join the train. Matthew battles his way through the war thinking of Rebekah, planning to help her west. He fears his biggest battle lies ahead. Will Rebekah open up her heart and allow him to be the one to hold her When the Shadows Fall?

Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and five grandchildren with one on the way.

Tina started her first novel in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy were published through Desert Breeze Publishers.

When Shadows Fall is available through Desert Breeze Publishing. The next two installments of the Shadow Series; Shadowed Dreams and To Catch a Shadow continues the story of Matthew and Rebekah on the Oregon Trail, releases November 2012 and June 2012 respectively.

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.

Touched By Mercy - http://tiny.cc/0rgkm

In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/we4ul

When Shadow Fall http://tinyurl.com/d93p77a

Amazon:

Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/k5tgw

In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/doc8w

When Shadows Fall: http://tinyurl.com/6ogulhk