A year ago, we readied our home and garden for a celebration.  Ben and Kristen were to be married on November 1, and they chose to have their rehearsal dinner here.  Hurricane Ike had just done great damage to the Texas Gulf  Coast, and although many downed trees and fences dotted our neighborhood, we escaped with minimum damage.    So we picked up,  propped up,  and prepared for some new planting.   Along with pumpkins, pots of chrysanthemum, and burgundy snapdragons, we planted kale and cabbages to fill in bare spots,  giving  autumn flair and flavor to the back yard.  The dinner was delightful, their wedding was wonderful, and with the new Mr. and Mrs. off to Belize for their honeymoon, we continued to enjoy our little cabbages.

The bronze and russet mums quickly faded.  But the cabbages soldiered on, gathering strength in the cooler days, and surviving even the few frosts our mild winter brought.  Their sturdy purple and green leaves brought color to the drabbest day, but as the heat of summer months continued, they shot up on stalks that began to resemble some prehistoric lizard.  It was time to pull them up, but I noticed a few tiny shoots near the base that looked like a little mustache, so I cut them off there instead.  I think they are growing again, just like the lizards that loose their tails!

Oh yes, the cabbages went to church on Sunday instead of the compost heap.  We used them with branches of herbs for centerpieces at a salad lunch after services.