Backyard Gardening

This is the first year that I've really been able to devote much time to my little backyard garden.  Before, there was always a baby to nurse, diapers to change and wash, etc.  But this year, my youngest is pretty happy to play in the backyard and torment his sisters unaided.  While I miss having a little baby around, I've been enjoying the freedom that comes as my kids get older.  I still don't know how I managed to put together a book with a newborn, especially on such an accelerated schedule.  But I digress.

The first of (hopefully) many peppers is hangin' out on this tiny plant.  I've not had good luck with peppers in the past, but this year I made sure to give them a healthy dose of our compost when I put the plants in the ground.  I was sure that the short cold snap we had would do them in, but they've pulled through beautifully.  At present, I've got 9 jalapeno plants, 5 bell pepper plants, and one ancho chile plant.

Our lovely cut-and-come-again lettuce.  We've had many tasty salads from this bed.  Tomorrow I'm going to go out and take the last of it before it gets too bitter.  Then we'll either put in a second bed of corn, or some fall squash.

Bush beans!  I plan to can lots of dilly beans this year.

In addition to what's in the pictures, we've got 10 tomato plants, corn, peas, zucchini, straightneck squash, eggplant, cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, mint, stevia, lemon balm, blueberries, and strawberries. 

And cabbage. 

I think that's it. 

If you don't count the wild mustard and purslane.

I think it's going to be a good year for the garden.

 

Jack the Guardian Gnome thinks so too.