The Garden – Part 8

Unbelievable! We have actually had our first harvest from our garden. The spinach seedlings are growing quite well. We did not want to hinder their growth in any way, but with scissors in hand, we snipped the most substantial leaves off and enjoyed them in a lovely omelet. The tomato plants are flowering. The beets are more than two inches tall and the beans!! Well, the beans are stretching up and out. Almost all of them germinated and it looks like we’ll be harvesting beans some weeks later this summer. I cannot believe that we didn’t try this before. It is fascinating every day to see what has grown. What is bizarre is that there are changes from the morning to the afternoon. A plant with unfurled leaves at sunrise, by the time I come home from work has popped open and its double leaves are stiff and sturdy. Soon we’ll have to start thinning the beets. We sowed the seeds down the rows and they are so thick that we must choose which ones to pick for the salad to let the other have a larger measure of soil, water and sun. Perhaps it is a bit like fertility treatments where some are chosen and some are sacrificed. The zucchini has sprouted and is crowding out of its tiny flat of six compartments. It’s another one that we didn’t really believe in and now we have to decide where in the yard to plant what will become sprawling vines. Maybe Fanny the Wonder Dog will have some of the garden intruding on her space. There is no more room within our little fenced confined space. Everything we planted is there growing strong and tall. Years ago in Iowa I used to plant what I called my gazpacho garden. It had tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and fresh parsley. It didn’t seem to matter if I had to shop at the local grocer as long as I knew those were available to me outside my door. There is something comforting and strengthening in successfully growing your own food. Mmmm. Next year we’re thinking, maybe the front yard too?

April 7, 2009