Sunday, May 4, 2008

Gardening with a Notso Green Thumb


I've had my own garden now for twenty-some-odd years, and I have to admit that I'm not particulaly gifted in this area. However, hope springs eternal. There are not many things on this earth better than a tomato basil omelette made with just-picked home grown tomatoes and fresh grown basil. And a BLT, perfectly toasted, with a touch of Duke's mayo? Heaven on earth, my friends. I'm not alone in this opinion. I remember hearing a country song years ago, "The only two things that money cain't buy are true love and home grown tomatoes!"

So each year, I continue to try. I buy the plants, plant 'em, stake 'em, fertilize 'em, mulch 'em. One year I calculated that I spent about $83 on each tomato that I harvested.

I have had a decent crop or two. Thanks to a mother & a few friends who actually know what they're doing, I've received some sage advice and managed to do things right on occasion.

Speaking of sage, I have found that herbs are perhaps the most forgiving crops. I grow a few in my garden (basil, chives, parsley stevia), and use some in "landscaping areas" (rosemary, oregano, lavendar, thyme, sage, and the ever prolific mint). I use many of the herbs in cooking, and grow some for their visual appeal or novelty. That's a blog of its own.

Back to the main garden patch. This year, I'm excited to be growing several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, several varieties of peppers, some cukes and zuchinni, and a solitary watermelon plant for which I have high hopes.

Stay tuned.

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