Since starting a small garden years ago, I have found as the year's progress I enjoy this hobby more and more. It really is kind of addictive! I started years ago with tomatoes plants and bell peppers in one small and narrow garden box. The next year I expanded to two garden boxes with more tomatoes plants, and added cucumbers (my first plant that I grew from seed). I didn't have great luck with the bell peppers so I decided it was best not to grow these. The second year I had more tomatoes and cucumbers than I knew what to do with! It was fun learning how to use these ingredients in new and different ways. I also traded some vegetables for zucchini from a neighbor, which expanded my vegetable horizon even more. As my garden grew over the years, so did my taste in vegetables. I was transitioning to a gluten free diet and eventually dairy free diet and growing my own vegetables and eating them fresh really helped me change my diet. I liked vegetables and would eat them, but I was very limited in terms of my variety. I basically ate a lot of carrots and tomatoes.
After having some gardening success, I had to give up my garden for two years while we moved and built a house, but this year I was finally able to get back into the game. With a new yard I was able to start from scratch on the design and sprinkler system which was a huge help for my not so great regular watering rituals. Yup... totally ran out of time most mornings and sometimes just forgot. My husband build some new garden boxes which you can see more about here. I had a great garden this year, although the year was not the best for some of my plants, it was fun to get back into the gardening and to try growing some new vegetables! Here are some fun pictures of my garden this year...
I founds some signs at the farmer's market to add to the garden...
I also had some chalkboard signs my Mom found for me...
By late summer my garden looked like a large green jungle...
My zucchini did very well as did the tomatoes (although due to a cooler summer they took much longer to turn red). The cucumbers did okay, but as with the tomatoes it took longer than usual to have many growing on my plants. The carrots and pumpkins did not do very well, and the basil lasted most of the summer before the other plants started to take over the boxes. Every year is so different, but I really have the gardening bug now! I have ideas for next year and can't wait to try them out!
Do any of you garden? What is your favorite plant to grow? What do you do with all of the veggies or fruit that you grow? I would love to hear your stories!
