Happy Memorial Day!

and blessings to all who have served!

Am I A Pilgrim Gardener?

I am learning that I am not so much a Pilgrim gardener! My 10th great grandparents lived at Plimoth Plantation in the 1620's and I have to admit I don't know how they survived- I most certainly would have starved to death or have been put in the stocks for poor gardening skills!
Today I used a cultivating tool to weed a small section of the garden and promptly got blisters on both thumbs! I carried 6 gallon jugs of water and poured them in a sprinkling can to water the garden as I have no outside faucet. I then proceeded to plant radishes and sunflowers- during this process I felt a stinging sensation on the inside of my left knee-looked down and had about 30 tiny red aunts biting me- didn't take me long to knock them off!
I had sweat running into my eyes and dripping off of my nose- definitely not glamorous!
The good news is the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and zucchini plants all look good- and I have two green bean plants coming through plus chives, thyme, basil, and garlic chives are starting to come up after 3 weeks- didn't think they were going to!
So possibly after all of this agony I will have something to harvest but I will admit making candles and tarts for http://oldesaltboxscents.blogspot.com/ , and yes tutus for http://fairiesflowersandfireflys.blogspot.com/ is much easier than gardening- but then you can't eat a candle or a tutu!

From Plimoth to Duxbury, MA

Many of the Pilgrims left Plimoth Palntation to develope land 35 miles north of Plimoth-among them were many famous Pilgrim families: Alden, Bradford, Brewster. amd my 10th great grandparents Edward & Hannah Bumpus.
Duxbury was founded by migrants from the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1632. Duxbury's importance in Mayflower genealogy is irrefutable, and it is underscored by the simple fact that the town was named for Duxbury Hall, the seat of Miles Standish's ancestral home in England. Justin Winsor's venerable history of Duxbury commences with chapters on the settlement and incorporation of the town; boundaries, roads and landmarks; first settlers; schools and education; and early contact with the Indian population. Subsequent chapters are concerned with lists of 17th-century town officers, Duxbury in the colonial wars, the American Revolution and the War of 1812, and the history of the Congregational Church in Duxbury. Of greatest interest to researchers, over one-third of the volume is devoted to genealogical notes and sketches of more than 200 early families of Duxbury, including the ones that follow: Alden, Arnold, Baker, Barker, Bartlett, Bisbee, Bishop, Bonney, Bosworth, Bourn, Bradford, Brewster, Briggs, Brown, Bryant, Bumpus, Burgess, Carver, Chandler, Chapman, Church, Clark, Cole, Cullifer, Curtis, Cushing, Cushman, Dawes, Delano, Dingley, Drew, Dwelley, Eaton, Ford, Frazar, Freeman, Glass, Hall, Harlow, Hathaway, Holmes, House, Howard, Howland, Hudson, Hunt, Kein, Lambert, Lazell, Leonard, Loring, Louden, Mitchell, Mullins, Nash, Oldham, Pabodie, Partridge, Peirce, Peterson, Phillips, Prince, Prior, Ripley, Rogers, Sampson, Seabury, Shaw, Simmons, Soule, Southworth, Sprague, Standish, Starr, Sylvester, Thomas, Wadsworth, Weston, Winsor, and Wormall.

The top photo shows the town of Duxbury today- looks like a charming little seaside village!

Spring Flowers- Nature's Paint Brush

It seems like my flowers are always a little behind everyone elses. I was working in the beds today and I do have some thiungs blooming- the wood poppies ( yellow flowers ) are really doing well- and the forget me knots came up this year for the first time- I have planted them every year for the past 5 and they usually die out during the winter- so I am very happy!!

This is the first year for these irises- they are way ahead of my other ones so I am very happy about that!!