Happy Feast Day of Saint Ignatius Loyola founder of the Jesuits.  I've long loved the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius and the daily practice of the Examen.  A look back over the day. Remember the good and the bad and finding God's place in all of it.  It helps center this old gardener.  

It is tomato season here in the Carondelet Garden.  We have harvested almost 30 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes so far with so many getting ready to turn this week.  Luckily the critters aren't that excited about them.  We still lose a fair number, but I overplant!  I know, everyone is shocked that this old gardener overplants tomatoes!  Soon it will be Marinara canning season in the @carondeletkitchen.  Dr. B is already checking on her supplies and we will be heading to the Hill neighborhood to stock up on some essentials like good EVOO!  It is exciting!

We welcome the cooler temperatures this morning here in the garden.  A good day and week to get out and harvest and get some weeding done.  Tomorrow the electrician comes to fix some issues from last week.  Things are getting done.  Work is happening.  The harvest is coming in.  Life is pretty good here in the Carondelet Garden.  

I'm starting the week with a bit of faith, hope and love.  I hope you are as well.  The sun is shining, the temperatures are a bit cooler, and there are tomatoes!  Be good and be kind to yourself this week.  You deserve it!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a bright, sunny, hot morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The heat has returned for yet another day, so the watering continues.  I've lost several tomatoes to sunburn these past few days.  A bit sad, but the warm nights have made so many turn seemingly overnight!  The harvest is definitely plenty.

I love companion planting and one of my favorite plants is the Marigold.  A beautiful bloom that just keeps giving and the smell is the smell of summer for this old gardener.  They are the perfect companions for the tomato garden.  They help with insect control, and you get bountiful beauty as well.  The perfect combination.

We had the pleasure of meeting some young friends for dinner last night.  They have been married for just over a year and their love is more evident every day.  They are a breath of fresh air.  Positive, beautiful people inside and out.  What a lovely way to spend the evening enjoying good food, good drink and amazing fellowship.  A blessing indeed!

Thankful is the word for this old gardener on this last Friday in July.  Thankful for friends and the joy they give to us and to the world.  We are blessed beyond measure.  Count your blessings the song says.  I want to remember to do that every single day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a warm start to the morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The Alliums are looking quite lovely still.  The began blooming in mid-June and are still looking amazing in the parterre garden.  These were my first plantings in the newest part of the garden way back in 2020.  It was my first big retirement gardening project and I'm still in love with this part of the garden.  

The garden is my sacred space.  That is the gift of gardening.  A place that allows me to simply pay attention and to be receptive.  I can truly find exactly what my soul needs and be inspired or healed along the way.  A sacred space where I can simply experience the presence of the Creator.  

I hope you find a sacred space for yourself on this last Thursday in July.  Be good to yourself and others as you travel about on this extremely hot day.  Be patient with yourself.  Stay hydrated and be responsive to your needs.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

A tiny bit of rain and a bunch of clouds this morning in the Carondelet Garden.  It's already sticky and warm outside.  It's going to be another Southside Scorcher here in South Saint Louis.  Welcome to late July!

No new pictures this morning but I did find these lovely shots of our Calla Lily from earlier this summer.  They were truly stunning this year and somewhat of a surprise as they didn't come up last year so I thought they were done and over.  Never count out a Calla lilly!

Although not considered true lilies, the calla lily is a beautiful flower that is available in a multitude of colors.  The plant grows from rhizomes and is ideal for use in beds and borders.  It is easy to grow calla lilies. These plants do not generally require too much attention. Proper planting and location are about the only important things to consider when growing calla lilies. Care of calla lilies requires that they be planted in loose, well-drained soil.  

If you have to be outside today, please take care of yourself and keep hydrated!  We have a list of things to get done today so I'm off to it.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a warm, sunny start to the day here in South Saint Louis.  The watering regime has returned to the Garden life.  The heat is beginning to build up once again, but the Wave Petunias are hanging in there.  The give a nice pop of color to the front garden.

This week is the last of the container tomatoes.  The Sweet 100s and Candyland were a delightful addition to our tomato garden.  The Romas are just about finished as well.  We didn't get as many as we hoped as the critters discovered them before we were able to get many.  But we did get a few and tonight we will enjoy some Pico de Gallo!  

Our pico de gallo recipe came from my wonderful friend from Mexico.  We worked together for many years and absolutely fell in love with her and her beautiful family.  She left us far too soon last year, but her memory and her delicious recipes live on!  Tonight is Cristy's pico!

Today is filled with gardening and memories.  Love is the common theme.  Sorrow because of loss but the memories and love continue on and on and on.  Here's to a day filled with faith, hope, love and gardening!  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a beautiful morning here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  Our Rose Mallo has decided to bring forth some gorgeous blossoms on this Monday in July.  What a stunning sight to see on my morning walkabout.  

Mallos were a favorite of my mother-in-law.  She loved the big, showy blossoms.  She was, to say the least, a bit dramatic with a flair for bright colors and her signature bright, red lipstick.  I think that is why she loved this over-the-top flower.  We found this one and had to find a place for it in the parterre garden in her honor.  She passed away almost 3 years ago in the height of COVID.  Her memorial service is one I will never forget.  It was just my wife and I and a priest because of the lockdown.  Yet, it was one of the most touching, beautiful send-offs ever.  God does speak whenever two or more are gathered together.  As much as my MIL loved a party, I think she would have been very pleased.  

It's a lovely day in late July.  The hard work in the house is finally over and I can get back to my puttering in the garden.  I am believing the old saw that "you don't own a house; a house owns you."  Still, I love this old house in South Saint Louis.  Here's to a new week, a new day and some sunshine and blue skies.  Have an amazing day Gardening Friends.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

As we like to say here in South Saint Louis, walking outside this morning was like being slapped in the face with a hot, wet dishrag!  It's yucky outside this morning.  It's almost like it is raining without anything falling from the sky.  The air is thick, hot and humid.  Not a great morning for doing anything outside.  The good news is our tropical plant like the hibiscus is loving this!

I'm going to be offline for a few days as we finished the home repairs and get things back in shape.  It's been a long week and the finishing work will be done tomorrow.  Excited to be finished.  Chaos has ruled these past few days and I'm not a chaos-loving old man.  But soon all will be done!

Please take care of yourselves if you are out and about on the hot, humid day in Saint Louis.  Patience is the word of the day.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a lovely morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  I was greeted by this gorgeous English Tea Rose as I puttered about in this early morning sunshine.  Quite the beauty here in the Garden.

It is always nice to hear people comment on the Garden as they pass our way on the journeys throughout the day.  "How do you make your garden do that?"  It's simple:  a little faith, hope, love and effort.  Despite the hard work, weeds, pests, diseases, thunderstorms, etc... our love of the flowers, shrubs, plants, vegetables and trees... gardening is what we do because of love.  We love it.

The garden is my spiritual home.  A place where I can pray and meditate and where I feel close to my creator.  We talk and laugh and, sometimes, cry.  It's an oasis from the storms of life.  I hope you can find a bit of peace and beauty on your journey this Wednesday in Ordinary Time.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.

It's a mostly cloudy morning here in the Carondelet Garden on this Tuesday morning in July.  Scattered thunderstorms are on the horizon once again for our area.  Some areas have been pounded by severe weather.  Prayers for a gentle, soaking rain and no damage this time.  Our roof is finally fixed.  

I feel a bit disconnected the past few days as we clean and prepare for some inside work to be done to the Carondelet Cottage we call home.  Working the soil, nurturing plants and watching them grow is a bit like religious devotion for this old gardener.  The small rituals and annual celebration that is harvest, the regular contact with the essentials of this life... earth, water, sunlight, growth... conspire to make me feel spiritually enriched.  It may not be a truly religious experience, but it does feed this old man's soul.

The inside work is almost done, and I can soon return to my daily routine of puttering around the garden.  As they so, take care of your home and your home will take care of you.  The work continues, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and soon it will be finished.  

Have a wonderful Tuesday.  Be safe on your journey today.  Know this, you are loved just the way you are right now.  Isn't that remarkable?  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.  

It's a lovely start to the week here in the Carondelet Garden.  The air is light and a slight breeze is coming in through the open window.  What a simple pleasure to have the windows open in mid-July.  I love the fresh air in the house.  

My heirloom tomatoes are really starting to show off a bit.  I cannot wait for a beautiful ripe 'Old German' or 'Cherokee Purple' to ripen.  @kneed_bakehouse will be my first stop for some of their amazing sourdough and then home to make bruschetta.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Dorothy Frances Gurney once said, "One is neared to God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth."  I believe that to be true.  The Carondelet Garden is my sacred space.  A blessed place of peach, faith hope, love and spiritual enlightenment.  I think it is an unwritten, almost unconscious aspiration for many gardeners.  

​It's a beautiful day.  I hope you have an opportunity to get outside and enjoy this moment.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.