What's growing in our garden

It is so much fun to watch the plants grow taller, then get the flowers, then the fruit or vegetable that results. Not unlike watching our kids grow. There is so much excitement and pride in watching them grow and learn, so much anticipation for what will come next, and then the bittersweet realization that each new accomplishment is evidence of time just flying by. How even throughout all of the many frustrations of gardening and parenting (weeding unwanted plants or unwanted habits, protecting against predatory insects or child predators, caring for a sickly plant or nursing our kids through an illness) when you see them blooming before you, with the sun shining on them as if it were a show just for you...it is simply breathtaking.

Here are some pictures of the garden. Don't laugh too hard--okay you can laugh, it's good for you. You'll see lots of weeds--some of it is on purpose (a little wild section attracts beneficial insects) some of it's just because I haven't gotten out there enough. You'll see newspapers flying about the yard, I was trying to lay it down and wet it really well before putting the straw on top for mulch but I guess they're supposed to be drenched to stay in place. (Hey we have to conserve water!) ;-) Also we ran out of the straw, so that's why it looks a bit bald in some spots. Here's what we're growing.

Vegetables and Fruits:

• Brandywine Heirloom Tomato
• Sweet Million Cherry Tomato
• Roma Tomato
  
• Cucumber
  
• Sugar Snap Peas (from seed)
• Kentucky Pole Beans (from seed)
• Banana Peppers
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Cayenne Peppers
• Pumpkin
  
• Sugar Baby Watermelon
• Grapes
• Strawberry
• Rhubarb
  
• Kiwi Gold Raspberry

This is the view of our veggie plot. I'll get a better picture later.
I really cut back the grapes this year. Last year's canes were 8-10 feet long! I didn't expect it to grow back, but it did and there are grapes growing!

I'll be sad to lose these strawberries next year. We have to replant it since you really should replant them every 3-5 years. And the first year of strawberries you should pick off the flowers to strengthen the roots.This is our second year with them and we don't know how long the previous homeowners had them...Maybe I'll wait one more year before replanting. ;-)

Herbs

• Blue Balsam Mint
• Orange Mint
  
• Lime Thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Munstead Lavendar
• Chives
• Cuban Oregano
• Sweet Basil
  

We took out the rocky/nasty landscaping pond and turned it into an herb garden. I love it! I really am enjoying going out there to "pinch, pinch, pinch!"

These are our strawberries picked from the garden. This was only after about 4 minutes of picking.Using the rhubarb, strawberries, orange mint and lemon verbena from our garden, Manny and I made our first strawberry/rhubarb pie! Homemade crusts too! See the little hearts? As my mom always says, "It tastes so good because it's made with love." ;-)