Oh! Tomatoes!

My first vegetable garden! I planned out the plot according to the almanac's guidelines for what vegetables are friendly with others and what are not. I drew out a picture on construction paper with cute little drawings of veggies and fruits. I wish I had saved it so I could scan it in...

I bought a truckload, literally, of cow post. I mulched some of the areas in hoping to keep in heat and curb weeds. I also used that black plastic stuff under the mulch. I did not want to have to weed all that often. We had a TON of rain and late blight took the four tomato plants I had. I was able to rescue about 30, or so, cherry tomatoes before everything was sucked into the evilness of the fungus. They started out so beautifully and were covered in green tomatoes, then one day they succumbed to the fungus. It just so happens we were on vacation for three days while our tomatoes were being overwrought. It figures, right? Something keeps eating my sugar snap peas and pepper plants. I managed to get 4 pea pods. Yes...4. It's probably the fat groundhog that likes to sunbathe on my stone steps. Yes, sunbathe. The rabbits and robins do, too. It's really funny to watch. On a much brighter note, I have bags of blanched zucchini in the freezer and 5 jars of refrigerator pickles. We have eaten zucchini like it's going out of style for the past couple of weeks. I have also given some to my parents and in-laws. My dad swears it's the best zucchini he's ever had. The basil flourished, to the liking of my 2-year-old. He loves to walk into the garden, grab a handful of basil and shove it into his little mouth. Considering the wonderful benefits of basil, I'm okay with it.

The pumpkins have taken over a third of the garden. I planted according to the directions on the seed packet, allowing 5ft in between rows. Next year, I'll plant the pumpkins in their own area in the front of the house. The carrots, cucumbers and broccoli never saw the light of day. Poor little guys. I was able to enjoy a bit of the lettuce I planted, before the pumpkin took over. This was my first garden. I have learned a lot in this experience. Vegetables are not as easy to grow as one may think. And they are not as hard, either. I have learned that I really like zucchini and that my kids don't. I learned that although they are cute, furry animals in my garden are not welcome at all, and the organic deterrent I sprinkled did not do a thing. I learned that I love watching my children walk around the garden, looking into the blossoms for pollinating bees. I love teaching them that food grows somewhere before it comes to our table, and that we can grow our own. I learned that I really like gardening. And that pumpkins need very little care and a LOT of room to grow. I will continue to enjoy the rest of the harvest my garden has to give and look forward to picking those pumpkins. Next year, my husband may have to build me an additional garden to accommodate my wants and needs.

Everything to the right of the tomato stakes and down in front is pumpkin.

If you look closely you can see a green pumpkin front and center.

One of the very few tomatoes....