Pleasant Garden Surprise

Despite having a very small space in my backyard in which to garden, I’ve made the most of it. As in years past my tomatoes are loving the southern exposure and going crazy. Once again this year I’ll harvest all the fresh tomatoes we can eat and I’ll be able to freeze enough to last all winter. The cucumbers and zucchini have been doing well, but the heat is starting to take its toll on the zucchini plants. The Big Jim chili peppers are producing repeatedly and we just roasted another batch (nothing smells better than roasting chilies). My climbing green beans look beautiful, but as usual, seem to be a little slow to flower. The big surprises this year are the eggplant and cantaloupe. My neighbor has given me a couple eggplants each year, but this is the first year that not only did both survive, but the plants are so loaded with eggplants I’m at a loss as what to do with them, not being a huge fan. But, the biggest and most pleasant surprise is the cantaloupe, primarily because I didn’t plant any. We do eat a lot of cantaloupe, and I do compost the waste, so have to assume that’s where it came from.

Produce fresh from the garden always seems to taste better than anything bought in the grocery store. Gardening is also therapeutic. Working with the soil and nurturing the plants is enjoyable, calming, satisfying, and this year even a bit surprising.