Garden Bounty

After watering, weeding, and pampering our little vegetable garden through this non-summer, we are finally starting to reap the benefits of our work - lettuce, potatoes, beans, squash, tomatoes, and maybe some corn in a day or two. I've never planted potatoes before so it was particularly satisfying to dig through the dirt to find 30 or 40 plump 'taters. We have enough beans and yellow crook neck squash for the whole neighborhood.

Although these are the first veggies of the season we've had a steady crop of berries since the end of June. First came the raspberries and strawberries, then the blueberries and marion berries. The herbs have been going strong too - basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano.

When I was growing up, my grandfather brought us mounds of fresh vegetables and berries from his large garden almost every day. I've had gardens of my own before, but due to a deer problem this is the first time in many years. Once again I have experienced the magic of placing tiny seeds in the damp spring dirt, watching fragile sprouts push through, and then weeks later harvesting the bounty. My grandfather would be proud.