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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
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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
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
Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy— http://tinyurl.com/7ztzjno
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/oh767
When Shadows Fall: http://tinyurl.com/6pxcmmf
Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy – http://tinyurl.com/72p4pml
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/4u5h9
When Shadows Fall -- http://tinyurl.com/7bk8of9
*Give away Closed.
Tina,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here. I picked my last tomato yesterday. I only had 3 this summer.
Diana