I was extremely discouraged when it came to our very first vegetable garden. In previous posts I ranted about all the things that went wrong (and are still going wrong). Still our garden managed to produce some editable fruits and vegetables! While we still have at least 20 tomatoes and 15 peppers still maturing, I figured everyone was getting sick of hearing about the perils of growing your own food. So here is the closer to this summers main project.
Due to a severe heat wave (that is still continuing) some of our tomatoes split open before they were ripe. This "big boy" split open due to many factors, one being its tremendous size, and also because of a dry spell followed by a down pour of rain in one of our infamous summer storms. The water caused the tomato to swell, breaking skin. However we were still able to eat a few slices. There is a huge difference between store bought and freshly picked.
We had several varieties of tomatoes, this "Chocolate Jasper" was only one of two that this heirloom plant was able to produce despite fertilizing and adequate conditions.
The best part of fighting the elements of weather, bugs and worms, and unexpected issues (like Penny and Dexter) was that we could actually use these fruits and veggies in meals. From fresh salsa shared with family, southwestern stuffed chicken, and "lemon boy" bruschetta.
All in all, if was a successful first season, and I am already planing the contents of next years garden. I am hoping for a broader range of vegetables like squash, spinach, and whatever else comes to mind!
