Wednesday, January 1, 2020

HERALDING IN A NEW YEAR AND A NEW DECADE

In the words of Dickens "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" That sums up my feelings about 2019. We had exciting travel, wonderful visits with family and friends but a ghastly 4 months of chemotherapy. Then on December 17th my final round of Big Chemo. It can only get better from now on and into 2020.

I even managed to do a little gardening on my good days. I have a good winter vegetable garden with lots of broccoli, chard, kale and pak choi. The broccoli is almost ready to pick-a lot earlier this year than other years.


The pak choi is full and juicy and was often on the menu over the holidays.


The red cabbage are starting to form heads,





The cardoon that grew in one of the beds last year is back again. It will take up the whole of this one bed but worth it for the striking flower heads.


I am not without having made a New Year resolution for 2020. I will keep the pathways clear in the vegetable garden. It won't be easy as already hundreds of Ca poppies are sprouting, along with blanket flowers and feather grasses. Well! maybe just one or two will get to stay!
Next week begins part two of my treatment as I head to surgery. Fingers crossed.

19 comments:

  1. Happy New Year! I didn't know you were going through chemo. I hope all goes well with surgery and you are on the recovery road. My thoughts will be with you. Your winter garden looks spectacular!

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  2. Jenny, My fingers are crossed for you. Best of luck, many hugs and love, gail PS I can imagine those beautiful Poppies.

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  3. I totally concur with your assessment of 2019! 2020 simply MUST be better, and a New Year's Day post from you is an excellent start.

    Four sets of fingers well and truly crossed here!
    XXXX

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  4. Happy New Year to you too Jenny. I hope 2020 brings health and a lovely garden to appreciate. Elaine

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  5. Gorgeous veg garden! So glad for you that the chemo hurdle is behind you. Now, successful surgery still ahead but then you'll be back to pulling up those poppies. (Why are my 'weeds' never poppies but always crabgrass and henbit dead-nettle?) Thank you for this lovely post. Sending all best wishes.

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  6. Wishing you a happy 2020 and full healing, Jenny.

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  7. I hope you continue to feel better and stronger with each passing day, Jenny. Working - or even just sitting - in your beautiful garden surely has its own restorative properties and the more you can do of that, the better. Best wishes for a return to full health and well-being in 2020!

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  8. All the best to you in this new year.πŸŒΈπŸ€

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  9. It was great to see you pop up in my in-box! I've missed you.... May 2020 be a wonderful year! SO envious of that veggie garden. The bugs are determined to destroy my brussel sprouts :(

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  10. Fingers crossed here too. I've been thinking of you and enjoyed the family photos I saw over the holidays on FB. You go girl!

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  11. So lovely to hear from you, Jenny. I'm envious you have anything edible growing in your garden. A few of my herbs are hanging on, but everything else has been pulled up and put in the compost pile. I keep saying this will be the last year to grow food, but then spring arrives, and I lose my mind at the garden store and end up trying once again. I guess there's a little bit of madness in all gardeners.
    Hoping this year is way better than last.
    Barbara

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  12. Happy New Year lady! Your garden looks gorgeous - even your veggies inspire envy. Any surgeon would be grateful to have you for a patient - you are so determined and work so hard to achieve whatever you set your mind to! Looking forward to hearing nothing but good news as the year unfolds.

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  13. You're winter garden looks beautiful! So glad you were able to get out. I can only dream of my pathways filled with poppies and blanket flower instead of my persistent poa annua! Best wishes to you and continued healing in the new year!

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  14. Hello there! Thank you for this beautiful photos. Having a salad or cabbage in garden is definitely a 'must'. This year for the first time I tried growing pak choi. It is a vegetable that wasn't so popular in my country since few months. When I saw it in a shop and tasted it I thought: why not trying to grow it on my own? And that is how I bought pak choi seeds from https://gardenseedsmarket.com/chinese-cabbage-pak-choi-seeds-brassica-chinensis.html .. Bad news with your health but I hope that this new year will be more pleasant for you. For sure surgery will bring you less pain, hope you will recover soon! All good luck for you!

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    Replies
    1. Glad you are enjoying the pak Choi. It is a great winter veg and so easy to grow.

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  15. Thankyou for all your comments. As I get back into gardening and blogging it is good to know that I still have some followers out there.

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  16. I'm so glad you write again. Thank you and good luck with your surgery.
    Happy New Year!

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  17. Best of luck with your treatments and I hope gardening brings as much healing as chemo.

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