But friends, that's what this hobby has progressed to. Edible plants. All year.
Now I'll try not to exaggerate too much about the winter's yieldings, seeing as our lettuce and spinach were enjoyed predominantly by the neighborhood squirrel population. And perhaps the baby broccoli's full-grown size isn't exactly what Mark had envisioned.
But our greens mix did produce a variety of greens (none of which we could initially identify) and on one very exciting afternoon, our children discovered turnips in the bed. (Turns out that no, we don't like turnips.)
All in all, not a complete disaster. Plants grew, and then they were eaten.
Each gardening year we've grown a little: in size, ambition / determination, and well, skill.
And so, though the first attempt of seasonal vegetables did not keep me from having to grocery shop, we're satisfied enough to try again next fall. Maybe squash and cabbage, beets, and next time, the correct species of broccoli.
The spring seeds and bulbs went in sometime around March, so we've been eating fresh lettuce for over a month now, which makes me happy! Everyday. Every salad.
And by the end of June, we'll picks carrots and harvest enough onions for the rest of summer.
Finally, Mark has (yet again) rearranged his raised beds and put the summer plants in the ground. Zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, corn, peppers, and oh so many tomatoes! He's also attempted to animal proof the corn (since those darn furry friends ate every kernel last summer!)
As a family, we've adopted the pleasant pastime of chasing the bunnies across the yard with a rake, yelling wildly, and telling them to "get out of our garden!"
Y'all, Mr. McGregor gets a bad rap, having to deal with all those greedy, unhelpful bunnies. We Ashbaughs empathize.
A few pics for perusers and progeny.
Also, Mark's passion has rubbed off a bit on me, and I've taken to it as well, with flower gardens. Maybe another post ... Lesson Learned: Everything really does taste better fresh.
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