Fajitas!

Tonight we're having fajitas! I picked two ripe Healthy sweet peppers, a few sprigs of cilantro, one of our many cucumbers, Chocolate Cherry tomatoes, and added in mushrooms, water-packed tofu and mango. Yum! I can't wait to dig in! I love fresh meals from the garden. The peppers were so crisp when I cut in to them! They were crisp like a fresh green bell pepper but sweet like a red one. :) I can't wait for my Blue Jade sweet corn to begin producing so I can add in that too!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog on gardening in your very own backyard. I live in the South and have a yard full of red clay, rocks and no topsoil. My husband, N, built five 4'x4' raised beds for me plus we have a "tire patch" and various pots and tubs for growing. We also have a toddler, T, and an infant, S. T loves to help me water the garden and so far has only helped me pick one pepper way too early. :)

I like planting the odd and unusual varieties of "normal" vegetables. For example, I grew Adirondack Blue Potatoes this year and have Chocolate Cherry a.k.a. Brown Berry tomatoes. N isn't as fond of my wild tastes so last year I bought "good ole beefsteaks" with a fun twist for me - it was a pack of "rainbow" beefsteak tomato seeds. (A mix of pink, red, green, orange, yellow and purple beefsteak plants). I'd say it is a fun compromise! :) N just sighs and rolls his eyes. :)

We also grow some herbs with our emphasis on Sweet Basil. We devour Basil Pesto on anything and everything. As soon as T had his first taste of pesto last year he hasn't stopped eating it. He'll even eat it plain! :) I freeze raw leaves for pesto making in the winter because we eat so much of it.

I prefer growing my plants from seeds because I can pick exactly which variety I want and know what the seedlings have been exposed to (i.e. pests and pesticides) without paying the extra money or organic plants. I also love ordering heirlooms that have a fun history. What we may not realize is that many of these "odd" colored veggies are actually heirlooms. Potatoes are native to the Andes and there are many purple and blue potatoes which have been grown for centuries. The more colorful the potato, the higher the antioxidant level is and the health benefit. (I use that fact to help convince N that I am not too crazy for the wild colors).

N is my awesome composter. I am so blessed! I wouldn't have nearly the garden I have without him. You should see the size of the worms! I'm glad they are in my garden but I really don't like digging potatoes and discovering the worms!! Uck! They are the size of small snakes (my LEAST favorite animal in the world! I prefer Grizzlies!!). T laughs when he sees me jump! I try to be a good example and teach him to not be afraid of worms. :)

Gardening is relaxing for me. There's nothing like working with the soil when one is stressed. I love nurturing the plants I grew from seed. Weeding isn't so much fun but I have far fewer weeds thanks to raised beds. This year I did have a volunteer tomato (maybe a Chocolate Cherry) pop up by our mailbox. I can't wait for the fruit to ripen so I will know for sure. We also have a volunteer Butternut squash growing out of our strawberry patch. That is one giant squash plant! I don't thin seedlings...I know they don't have feelings but it is still hard. :)

My hope is that maybe some of my experiences will help you learn more about gardening and encourage young families to get out and garden together. It can be done with children around, just an extra dose of patience is sometimes needed for "helping". Gardening also also allows me to feed my family healthy and vine ripened produce. I also love saving money. :) Basil Pesto is so much more affordable when it is grown in your own yard!!