Small Garden's Harvest
The first small garden harvest is in. Picture one shows the beginning of the garden, minus the tomato plants. Picture two is the first harvest.
This first harvest may not look like a lot to some gardeners who have a larger garden area to plant in. I have a very small spot where an avocado tree once grew-this is now the small garden.
In this small garden, you will find growing--Kentucky Pole green beans, which are producing more than we can eat now, so we are freezing them for winter. Growing next to the green beans are yellow string beans. In addition to the beans, there are two sweet green peppers, also a Jalapeño, and a peperoncini, 2 sweet Italian long peppers, that I am anxiously waiting for them to turn one yellow the other red, a medium size Italian white eggplant, that has 5 eggplants that are just about ready to be picked.
Tucked in between a Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) and a (Butterfly bush) Buddleia are 2 tomato plants that are heavy with fruit. In addition to these, I have 3 tomatoes plants in large containers. All the tomatoes were started from seed and are the heirloom variety. Scattered around the yard in containers you can find zucchini, patty pan squash, cucumbers, shallots and a leek, also 3 different kinds of basil, to go with the tomatoes for a caprese salad or tomato sandwiches.
So I have learned if you really want a vegetable garden, you will find the space for it. They need some tending almost every day, especially the ones in the containers, but well worth the effort.
Colorful harvest. (photo by Toni Greer)