How does your garden grow?

This is my second year having a vegetable garden. I am pleased to say that last year was a huge success. We grew tomatoes, squash, green beans, peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupe, okra, and watermelon. And even though my husband started out saying it was a "vegetable graveyard" not a garden, he literally ate those words all summer and fall.


This year, we have doubled the size of the garden. We started planting two weeks ago. We started with two types of corn, one called "chubby checker" which is a sweet corn that has both white and yellow kernels. The other is also a sweet corn and is called "ruby red". It is a beautiful reddish-burgundy color, I can not wait to try it. Beez helped plant all the kernels. I went down the row and made the holes, and she dropped one kernel in each one. We already have little corn plants about 3 inches high....that is so exciting!!!

On a side note, when I was 5 years old I lived with my dad and went to kindergarten at the Marine Corps base where he was stationed. On our way in each morning, we would stop along the side of the road, next to these HUGE commercial corn fields. I would jump out and run over and stand next to it to see if I was taller than the stalk. I remember when it started to get close, and then finally the day came when it shot up past me. Then it was my dad's turn to stand next to it. And each day we continued, until once again it was taller than he. I am looking forward to doing the same with the Beez. I hope to build great memories for her too.

Now back to the here and now. Aside from the corn we are also venturing out with other vegetables. We are adding carrots, radishes, zucchini, eggplant, 8 varieties of peppers, turnips, and going from 8 tomato plants to 30.

Last year, we had enough for our family, my sister's family and even some to share with church members. This year, I hope to do more canning. Last year was my first attempt at canning. I did salsa, pepper jelly, pickle relish, and figs. The figs were a horrible disaster. Really awful!!! They looked beautiful, but gosh were they nasty!!! This year I hope to can tomatoes to use through the year, as well as some creamed corn, salsa, and jelly.

Finally, a funny ha-ha. Yesterday, Beez was telling her daddy about the garden. She was giving the update of what we planted, and about the little baby corn stalks. She finished with this: "Daddy, guess what else is coming up? We have RASHES growing in our garden daddy. Aren't you so excited?

She of course meant radishes...but you gotta live a four year olds vocabulary.