How Does Your Garden Grow?

Day: 433
High Temp: 86F

My garden grows quite well, thank you very much!

On our second weekend at the Mint House, Tom and I planted a garden. There were already some raised beds in our side yard, so we went out and bought plants, seeds and lots of tools, and proceeded to break up the ground, fill the beds with compost and soil, and start planting.  There were still boxes that needed unpacking, and pictures that needed hanging, but we were playing in the dirt.

That was 12 weeks ago, and now our garden is really starting to produce (hee hee)!   From the very beginning, the serrano chili plant was producing (it was literally filled with serranos within two weeks). But it was just last weekend that some of our first plants in the ground started to bear veggies.

Serranos ripening on the vine!

On Sunday, I harvested a big pile of green beans, and one large, beautiful yellow summer squash.  These were veggies we grew from seeds, with absolutely no fertilizer except compost, and they are delicious. The green beans went into a shepard's pie for dinner, and my mom (who, along with my dad, was visiting us last weekend) sliced and fried up the squash for an appetizer.

Our first big harvest. Summer squash and green beans displayed on our pretty new china.

Last night, we pulled two more monster squash out of the garden, and another large bunch of green beans. Tom also had a surprise for me... our cucumbers have started to come in!  They have been wild, viney looking plants for weeks now, with pretty yellow cucumber flowers constantly blooming and withering by the dozens. I was convinced that, since we hadn't even seen the start of a cucumber, perhaps it was too hot, or too late or whatever to actually get cucumbers this year. To my utter delight, I was wrong. There are dozens of little cucumberlings out there now! I see homemade pickles and dilly beans in my future!

One of many cucumberlings.

We were careful to follow the many charts that suggest what can be planted in August in Austin, and held back some cooler weather seeds which Tom has planted when appropriate in September and October. Mixed lettuces, winter squash, beets and carrots have all gone in the ground in the past few weeks, and are already starting to look good. I am not sure anyone can imagine how excited I am to make a roasted beet salad and serve it over my homegrown mixed baby greens!

Many varieties of lettuce and greens coming in!

Though I have been pulling my weight with watering, and harvesting, I have to give Tom a huge amount of credit for most of the planting, weeding and general TLC.  He absolutely loves being in the garden, and I have to say, the only thing that makes me happier than our home grown veggies is the peace and joy he has been getting from that little plot of land.