The Garden

If I'm going to write a blog about all things food, I should probably have a better understanding of where my food comes from. Don't get me wrong...I'm not going to make my way to the nearest cattle ranch to watch a cow get butchered (I've seen all I need to see on TV already, thank you). I figured if I could have some super fresh produce and herbs, and teach my son about veggies, we might all eat a little better and I might just save some money at the grocery store. Win, win. So here's where I started:

And here's where I finished:

I even found a fat little frog along the way. But that's besides the point. From left to right, starting in the back, we have roma tomatoes, gypsy peppers (sweet), jalapenos, straitneck squash, zucchini squash, cucumbers, and then the front row is cilantro, oregano, sweet basil, and rosemary (in the house, currently) started from seedlings.

I'm really hoping this does save us money in the long run. The only reason I can think it wouldn't is if I kill everything, or if a squirrel does - both are high possibilities. I had nothing at home to start my project so I had to buy everything to get started and it only cost me $100. I admit, it was more than I expected the total to come out to, but all in all I might spend that much on produce alone over the course of 6-8 weeks. Maybe.

Once my plants start bearing fruit, I plan to use them in as many recipes as I can. I bought the jalapeno plant already bearing 3 peppers, so look for a spicy dish soon!

My parents are coming into town this weekend so I may put them to work helping me build a screen cage to go around all the pots. I think that will be good to keep animals out of them at night, and then if it's a really hot day I can give them some shade so they don't burn out. And did I mention I'm worried about those pesky squirrels eating my veggies? Maybe they'll go for the jalapenos first and get scared off.

Well, I'll keep you posted with photos and information as things progress! Your first recipe is coming soon!!