Savor More than Writing

October and my Heavenly Blue Morning Glory is only now coming into its own. The cool spring and early summer delayed my Blue. Though all Morning Glories love heat and need nighttime temperatures of fifty degrees or more, Heavenly Blue and the Moonflower seem to be the sticklers. My Grandpa Ott Morning Glory thrives, cropping up just about anywhere. The purple flower vines through the tomatoes, up the old metal baby crib headboard leaning against the retaining wall and through the Rose of Sharon. I love its’ serendipitous nature. I do, but at times, it’s too much.

I was afraid I wouldn’t get even one start of my Heavenly Blue coming and until just a few weeks ago, I was certain the vine by the shed door would turn out to be another Grandpa Ott. Oh, I planted Heavenly Blue seed there, but far too often, I’ve ended up with dark purple flowers where I envisioned sky blue. And there really is nothing to compare the impact of those satin-blue palm-sized blossoms—like pieces of sky twining on the shed trellis.

The blooms are so fleeting. Each bloom only lasts a day and the plant flowers so late I always feel the need to capture the glory with a camera. I gaze at the silky flowers as storm winds toss their edges, knowing the coming rain will be their ruin.

I’ve tried to preserve the blossoms by pressing them in my flower press, but the results are disappointing. I’ve tried to plant seed indoors so the starts are ahead of the game by the time the night temperatures are to their liking. That, too, has had mixed results.

The Morning Glory show is so welcome, so worth the wait. The rest of the garden looks tattered and shabby. Mildew has muted the zinnias. Petunias are tired. The vegetable garden has wound down which makes for some interesting vegetable heavy meals. I don’t mind, at all. Well, a bit, as I’m an elk-hunting widow this week and I can’t possible eat all the vegetables the garden is still producing. Fall lettuce is coming on, late radishes and green onions make for a great salad when I add homegrown grape tomatoes and olives.

Zucchini is wonderful sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Broccoli is at its’ best, steamed with brown butter sauce drizzled on it. And my favorite lunches is tomato salad made with sliced grape tomatoes, sliced string cheese, green onions with Italian dressing and French bread. Sometimes, I add sliced olives to the salad and toast a slice of French bread under the broiler with any cheese I have on hand on the top. A simple feast that eaten at my desk as I take advantage of the quiet. I hope to get tons of writing done.

Yet, this morning Heavenly Blue Morning Glory pulled me outside, whispering of poems and coming rain. Worse, whispering of coming winter. So, I savored.