I’m really enjoying growing my own food. It’s not as time-consuming or overwhelming as I thought it would be. And the best part? My plants are actually growing. Like, a lot! And they're producing food! Who would have thought? For my first attempt at vegetable gardening, I was lucky enough that my Dad gave me a small plot of land on his farm. (Although next year, I think I will do more container vegetable gardening on my own balcony) I only have a few plants, mainly because my parents already grow a lot, and can just get fresh produce from them. This year I planted: 4 bell pepper plants, 2 beefsteak tomato plants, 1 sugar snap peas, 1 watermelon, 1 cucumber, 1 zucchini (summer squash), 1 spaghetti squash, and 1 yellow zucchini (summer squash). |
In addition to my garden, I have planter boxes of fresh herbs, including thyme, oregano, parsley, chives, basil, mint and rosemary.
I have been doing a good job of keeping up with the weeding, and I’m finding that the more work you do at the beginning of the season, the less you have to do as the season goes on. I have also learned a thing or two about the actual plants I’m tending to.
For one thing, squash plants really do like to take over! The zucchini plants are massive, with huge, thick stalks. It’s a good thing they are next to my spaghetti squash, because that thing just grows and meanders all over the darn place! I keep having to redirect its path. If it was beside a smaller, weaker plant, like my tomatoes or sugar snap peas, they probably would have been suffocated and strangled to death by now by my monster spaghetti squash.
Speaking of sugar snap peas, next year I’m going to plant a bunch! This year I stuck with one plant and although I got a good handful of peapods a few weeks ago, the plant doesn’t seem to be producing anymore. I guess it’s done for the season. That’s a shame, because they were really super tasty and great to eat right off the vine.
So far, my tomatoes and peppers have not yet produced and it will be a while before the spaghetti squash and watermelon are ready. But I’ve had immense good luck with zucchini – If you don’t believe me, look at the number of zucchini recipes I’ve posted in the last couple of weeks. I have so much zucchini I don’t know what to do with it right now! It really is the best plant to get you started on vegetable gardening.
Check out more pictures of my growing garden below. I also took some snaps of my brothers’ and parents’ gardens nearby.
For one thing, squash plants really do like to take over! The zucchini plants are massive, with huge, thick stalks. It’s a good thing they are next to my spaghetti squash, because that thing just grows and meanders all over the darn place! I keep having to redirect its path. If it was beside a smaller, weaker plant, like my tomatoes or sugar snap peas, they probably would have been suffocated and strangled to death by now by my monster spaghetti squash.
Speaking of sugar snap peas, next year I’m going to plant a bunch! This year I stuck with one plant and although I got a good handful of peapods a few weeks ago, the plant doesn’t seem to be producing anymore. I guess it’s done for the season. That’s a shame, because they were really super tasty and great to eat right off the vine.
So far, my tomatoes and peppers have not yet produced and it will be a while before the spaghetti squash and watermelon are ready. But I’ve had immense good luck with zucchini – If you don’t believe me, look at the number of zucchini recipes I’ve posted in the last couple of weeks. I have so much zucchini I don’t know what to do with it right now! It really is the best plant to get you started on vegetable gardening.
Check out more pictures of my growing garden below. I also took some snaps of my brothers’ and parents’ gardens nearby.