I do not have a green thumb. I've been known to kill the hardiest of house plants. Despite this, I have great aspirations to grow fruits and vegetables and I'm not talking about just a few salad tomatoes. Ultimately I'd love to grow enough veggies to can or freeze and use all year long. If I could grow and can enough tomatoes to not have to buy a single jar of salsa, can of diced tomatoes or container of pizza sauce I'd love it!
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver I was inspired to expand my very small garden to a larger one and to do more canning this fall. My husband and I spent a chilly spring morning digging up sod - him muscling a rented tiller through stubborn grass and me digging up the edges and removing patches of sod. A couple hours later and I had my very own dirt canvas with which to paint my garden masterpiece (did I say that I may be overly ambitious?).
I'm hoping the next few years will be a 'test period' of sorts to find my favorite veggie varieties, epxand my garden further and also figure out tactics to keep bunnies at bay (they seem to like the tops of my still delicate pepper plants). Then it will be smooth sailing - I'll have my system down and move from beginner to a solid amateur gardener status. I’ve got over a dozen tomato plants, bell peppers, hot peppers, peas, radishes, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, basil, sage, thyme, mint, carrots and sweet corn. I’ve also planted a patch of onions and lettuce.
What have you planted in your garden this year? Do you have any tried and true gardening advice for a beginner?
