The garden is in

It's been a couple of years since we really had a vegetable garden. Circumstances and general busyness at planting time have interfered, and unlike the more southerly latitudes I grew up in, the growing season hereabouts has definite limits. Even the stores are only stocked with bedding plants and vegetable starts for about a six-week window. After that, the pickings get very slim, and - at least at our house - habanero peppers and pickling cucumbers do not have an eagerly anticipated harvest.

This year we went all out and borrowed the neighbor's rototiller to prepare the ground. It sped up the process considerably, and left a satisfying swath of bare earth. The soil here is on the silty side, much different from the hard clay of my native California hillside.

Now there are tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, cucumber and squash plants nestled into the soil. The strawberries - some replanted, some new - are blooming and setting fruit. Onions and radishes are sprouting, and the bean and carrot seeds will soon follow. Some of my favorite flowers - poppies, bachelor's buttons, sweet peas - have been sown in between the rows. The herb patch has been rejuvenated; I relocated the oregano and mint near the two lavenders and planted new thyme, sage, and basil. In homage to our central coast heritage, my dad even found us an artichoke plant - we'll see if it produces anything edible before it succumbs to a hard frost.

The anticipated bounty means that we won't continue our CSA subscription this year. I'm feeling a bit guilty about that, though we will still shop at the farmers' market for the produce we won't grow ourselves. Having our own garden is a bit of an indulgence, and it does take resources that impact the household bottom line (the cost of seeds and plants, and the water bill, since we don't have irrigation rights). On the other hand, it has lots of pluses - relaxation, stress relief, exercise, and the potential for expanding the kids' limited repertoire of consumable vegetables as well as their understanding of natural science. Let the growing season begin - this year, we're ready!

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