The Garden Goes In

Last night was the beginning of our garden venture. It was windy and chilly but the kids didn't seem to mind. It doesn't seem much like garden season or spring when I have to wear a heavy coat. Honestly, I wasn't even in the mood when we started.

It didn't take long before those visions of future crops started to crop up within my psyche though. I love plucking fresh veggies off the vine or pulling onions out of the ground. I have a number of new dishes to try this summer. I am mostly excited about the prospects of fresh feta cheese on thick juicy tomatoes, mozzarella piled high on fresh spaghetti sauce or licorice herb basil butter (tastebuds are watering now!)

Planting a garden takes time and maintaining it can be a lot of work, the rewards are worth it though. The beans I canned last summer have not ran out and we still have plenty of frozen sweet corn. The salsa and sauces are running low and I am hoarding my last jar of tomato soup. I'm glad canning season is just around the corner.

The work is about to begin. Gardens don't plant themselves and "ponies don't buck for free"! I've come to the conclusion no matter what I end up doing with my life, there will always be a garden involved. It is quite the miracle to put seeds in the ground and know they will sprout, grow and become food. There's something deeply nourishing about growing what goes on your table.

This will be a work in progress. The red, white, and yellow onions are in, and so is the spinach. Potatoes go in this weekend. We're adding raised beds this year in hopes of dodging the tomato blight. I'm planting a surplus, I have a few requests already coming in.

One thing is for certain, I am never bored!