What My Garden Looks Like
March 12

The peas are coming up

The radishes are poking through the surface

The tomatoes are planted and caged

A lot of barren ground

Now the waiting begins.  I planted 3 different varieties of tomatoes just to see which ones we like better.  I also planted eggplant.  I've never been successful in growing eggplant, but I keep trying.  I also planted anaheim chilis.  Another plant I've never seen through to fruition.

This year, just for Matt, I planted okra.  I was raised on okra.  I hate okra.  But I decided I could fry it up on Sunday dinner for Matt this summer - if it grows.  My dad asked me how many seeds I planted, I said I bought two packages, but only planted 1/2 of a package.  He laughed and said I'd have enough okra for the whole town.  "Make sure you cull those real good, you probably only want one or two plants."

I've yet to see any lettuce or spinach from my earlier planting two weeks ago.  there's a whole row of corn planted.  Two varieties of yellow squash.  The normal crooked-neck that I've been successful with in the past.  Then I bought a package of heirloom seeds for yellow squash.  My grandparents always "put their garden to seed" at the end of the season, and that's how they got seeds for the next year.  I'd like to do that but the seed packets at the store are almost all hybrid - which means their genetically engineered to do well, and sterile, so you can't save the seeds to plant again.  I've read up on heirloom seeds and looked at several seed providers, but I wasn't ready to take it on this year. I think you have to work a little harder with the seeds to have them come up, etc.  I'll read some more about it and perhaps start with the winter garden to use some heirloom seeds.

The garden is 24x12.  The fencing around it came from a demolition job site Ron did last year.  I am excited about my jumbo colored tomato cages.  I bought them at Habitat for Humanity Restore (they sell construction related items for cheap) last January.  They were $2 each.  Star Nursery is selling them right now for $7.99 each.  Deal.

We'll see how many seeds germinate, survive wind storms, hot sun, crickets, ants, and all other creepy crawlies to produce some vegetables this year!