The Magic of A Garden

This will be the third year I have planted a vegetable garden.  When we moved in our current home, most of the groundwork had already been done.  The previous owners had put up a cute little white fence (completely lined with rabbit-proofing chicken wire) surrounding the most perfect little plot of earth.  Not so big that it proves to be overwhelming, but plenty of space to happily grow a variety of plants.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to start a garden.

Working the manure, compost
and dirt with the tiller.

Mother Nature was certainly not on my side this year; even the spring onions I started inside didn't take.
Last weekend proved the perfect opportunity for me to plant as the weather was a bit on the cool side, and the rain actually let up for a change.  My husband and I spent one day just prepping the soil.  While the last two years have been productive, I thought the quality of the soil needed to be improved for this year so we added several bags of mushroom compost, cow manure and garden top soil to really give the plants the food they needed.

All ready for planting!  The soil was so soft and
pillowy you sort of sank in it when you walked.

A rented tiller (an absolute must for this tough work!) made for a fun afternoon project for my husband.  Any time he gets to play with power tools or yard equipment it's a good day for him.  But man was he a huge help!  Another new thing we are trying this year is the addition of peat moss.  After last year's scorchingly hot temperatures with little to no rain I wanted to be sure to hedge my bets on the soil being able to retain water.  Peat moss loosens compacted soil and improves water retention, aeration and drainage.  It also helps prevent the leaching of valuable nutrients and promotes root development.  Where was this stuff last year when I needed it?  Lesson learned.

Mapping out where you want things
to go helps make sure you stay organized.

One of my favorite things to grow is peppers so I always plant a large variety - - Bell Pepper, Jalapeño, Serrano,  Habanero, and Poblano.  I plan to utilize them in all manner of ways including salads, salsas, stuffed jalapeños (wrapped in bacon, on the grill!), guacamole and of course pickling.  There is something strangely addicting about pickled jalapeños.  They are great in Bloody Mary's too!

Radishes starting to sprout
after just one week!

The other thing I love to grow are tomatoes.  This year I planted Yellow Pear, Cherry, Roma, Early Girl, and a Black Krim Heirloom variety.  I think we might eat a variety of tomato with every meal once they start coming in.  Caprese salads with mozzarella and fresh Basil are a favorite although we eat them in dozens of other types of salads.  And my husband's favorite dish is a called Pasta Ponza which has roasted cherry tomatoes with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and capers, all baked until crispy and golden and then tossed with pasta.  It is delicious! I will definitely share that one in a future blog.

In addition to the peppers and tomatoes, I am growing Pattypan Squash and a Magic 8 zucchini which is a new variety for me.  Small and compact the pattypan are really great on the grill, and go perfectly with my fresh pesto.

Oregano, Chives, Rosemary and Dill.  They
will grown in quite nicely and fill the pot
as they grow.

I also planted two different kinds of Cucumbers, Lettuce/Mesclun, Radishes, Carrots, and Onions.  Like the tomatoes, there are a variety of dishes I utilize the cucumbers in including pickling them and serving them sliced super thin in a Red Wine vinegar dressing with dill and onions.

My plants usually tend to give me way more cucumbers than we could ever eat so I give some to friends, co-workers and random people on the street.  :)  But seriously, it is usually a pretty grand bounty which makes me feel like an accomplished gardener.

To make sure I can get all those veggies to fit in my little garden, I have to do some pre-planning.  I like to actually draw it out and give myself a few options.  You need to take into consideration if any parts of your garden get more sunlight than others and of course you should think ahead to how you are going to reach the plants to harvest from them.  The version/layout pictured here was version #5 I think.  I always go back and forth on where I want to put things, and inevitably, I don't end up with everything right where I mapped it, but for the most part I  try and stick with the plan.

Basil and Thyme.  I'm going to add Thai Basil
to this pot in the open space remaining.

In addition to the vegetable garden, I also have a pretty extensive herb garden this year.  For most of the recipes I make throughout the summer, it is the herbs that add the perfect accent to the dishes.  After all, a Caprese Salad isn't a Caprese without the Basil!

Cleaned Radish Sprouts make a great addition
to salads.  Their peppery bite hints at the
tasty harvest to come

This year I am growing Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Dill, Oregano, Chives, Parsley and Cilantro.  Its spread out amongst a few different larger pots and I have my Cilantro in a separate smaller container.  It is more fussy and needs to be kept in cooler places to keep it from "bolting", which really just means it goes to flower.  Because I know I will want to make lots of pesto I also have several other flower boxes of just Basil seedlings (which you might remember I started this Spring inside) that are coming along quite nicely.

I will continue to post pictures of the garden so you can see the progress as we move through the season.  It is always amazing to me how quickly the plants go from small little plantings (or seeds even!) to full grown plants that make the garden their domain.  Having plants that produce results at different times makes gardening a lot more rewarding as well.  Just two weeks in and I'm already thinning out my Radishes and enjoying salads with the greens that I pulled.  Its amazing how quickly they grow!

A view from the front gate of the garden. And once it stops
raining for more than a day I will clean off the path!
That pot on the step is my garlic!

Nurturing the garden and watching things grow and become ready to harvest helps me to appreciate the food we eat and the work that goes into making it a reality.  It might sound cliche but it really is true that nothing tastes quite as good as vegetables grown from your own garden.  There is a satisfaction that growing and producing your own food brings that can't be explained.  You just have to experience it for yourself.

The wonder of watching as the garden takes on its own identity - - as the bees busily go about doing their jobs, and the plants reach for the sky - - makes me truly appreciate the flavors and the bounty from the garden each and every year.  There really is something quite special about getting to be there and about being a witness to the magic that is a garden.

Another view of the garden; Tomatoes in cages, cucumbers along
the back with trellises and the radishes coming in along the front.