Last night I spent about 30 minutes picking "The Fruit Of My Labor" out of the garden. Knowing I'm headed to Korea for work again, I anticipate the weather getting cooler and cooler and I'll be losing a lot of what is currently just hanging around. I thought I'd share the bounty of my my garden with friends and coworkers before I leave.
These are a few of the realizations that I had while reflecting on my 3rd garden's "success".
#1 - I don't eat most of what I grow. I give a lot of it away. I haven't been cooking as much lately because I either exhausted from work or exhausted from projects. Most of my food is packaged or bought out. Which makes me sad, but until my life changes, that's the truth of it. I also give a lot away because I like to share it. It makes me extremely happy to hear someone say they like what I've grown!
#2 - I'm done with the hard veggies. I'm seriously, DONE. I don't give two figs to try growing cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cabbage again. Anything that aphids eat, I'm not interested in. I'm done fighting that fight. The aphids win.
#3 - I don't know SO MUCH about gardening. I've got a compost bin, but I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to be doing with it. :) It sits there full of "composty things" in it...and I'm baffled about what to do next.
#4 - I don't know how to harvest, or when to harvest most of what I seed in my garden.
#5 - I over plant. I admit it. I need 1 tomato plant a year, and I need to remember that, because I make the same mistake every single year. And who needs more than one zucchini plant?! Honestly! They grow so darn fast I can hardly get out there fast enough to harvest them before they're so big they taste awful.
#6 - On the up side, I did pickle some veg this year, and I really quite enjoyed that. I think that's a fun way to enjoy what I grow and not feel so overwhelmed to eat a mass of tomatoes in one sitting.
#7 - I'm investing in raised beds this next summer. I'm not convinced I'm a good gardener but before I give up on this hobby entirely, I'm going to try and do this in a way that is more rewarding for me.
#8 - I'm TRILLED to see the huge pumpkin in my garden this year. I get a huge smile whenever I go out there, knowing that guy is going to be the coolest carved jack ever this year. I don't care how old I get, carving pumpkins is so fun.
#9 - I do know I'm learning. I do know that as much as I don't know, I know more now than I did two years ago, and as I go forward and learn more of what I like to grow, what I am good at growing and what my garden WANTS to grow I can only get better at this, and maybe at some point in my future when my career and house projects aren't taking up so much of my time this little hobby will get more of my brain power and I can do the proper amount of research I should be doing to make it a success. In the meantime, I do enjoy myself when I have the time to devote to it.
#10 - This year, I'm not putting straw down when I put the garden to bed, and I WILL do some research about that compost bin before then so I'm fully prepared for next spring. :)
#11 - Bush Beans, and climbing beans are VERY, very different, and should not be seeded in the same location....note to self, put the climbing beans on something they can climb on, or they will choke out the bush beans.
Happy Gardening family. I hope everyone else has had a successful summer of veggies.
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