Gardening Bliss

This is our first gardening year and so far it's been a success! We have all kinds of things growing. Tomatoes, melon, corn, beans, squash, berries, cucumbers, herbs and flowers. It's been amazing watching everything grow. Look at us, keeping plants alive!

We don't really have a very large yard, and I didn't think we had a ton of space for gardening. In my mind, I always pictured a garden as being a giant rectangle with long rows of veggies. I only had this little 2 foot raised bed along the back and side fence. I was amazed with how much I could fit in that space! We are going to have a TON of vegetables at the end of the season. I am so excited.

Here is a recent photo of my "Three Sisters" garden. I planted a circle of corn, followed by a circle of beans (pole beans, which will grow up the corn stalks), and then a circle of various squashes. I can't wait for the squashes to get a bit larger. I think this is going to be so pretty when it fills in.The kids are having a great time helping in the garden with watering and weeding. It's been hard trying to keep Simon from walking all over the plants, though. He was used to climbing around in the area that is now our vegetable bed. But he's learning. I can't wait until later in the season when the kids can help me harvest the "fruits of our labor" and taste how delicious homegrown veggies can be.

My dad used to tell me how fresh vegetables taste better than any other, and in particular he would mention how sweet corn was when you'd pick it and cook it right away rather than letting it sit. I can't wait to see what he meant. And, of course, can't wait to have homegrown tomatoes. The funny thing is that I really don't care for tomatoes UNLESS they're homegrown. They taste vastly different when they're fresh from the garden. Mmmmm. Can't wait. Grow, little plants! Thrive!