The way I see it...

My Rookie Garden

I, for the first time in my life, have my very own garden! Yep, I’m pretty excited about that. I have always wanted to try my hand at it, but haven’t really had the opportunity to do so.

This summer, I decided we should make room in our backyard. We started the seeds in March and ever since I have been watching tomatoes and peppers grow. I haven’t actually eaten anything out of the garden yet, but I have loads of green tomatoes that I anxiously check every day to see if they’re turning any sort of red. Nothing yet. And, I have bell peppers and jalepeno peppers that are growing, but aren’t quite ready to be picked. Soon though, very soon!

I feel like a mother (ok, I know I am a mom), but I feel very motherly towards my garden. My little jalepenos are the cutest little things. They start off so tiny and have been getting bigger by the day. To put something in the ground and watch it grow is amazing to me!

And, how economical is it? You buy a packet of seeds for a buck or two and think of how much money you save. Plus, it’s right out of your own garden, so you know if you’ve put any sort of chemicals on it (or not). Plus, it’s fresh! Like, really, really, really fresh. Not picked before they’re ripe so they can travel 2,000 miles on a truck to get to your grocery store.

I should also mention that I bought some Triscuits awhile back and I was reading the box and happened to notice they were promoting the ‘grow your own garden’ thing too. They actually included two seeds of basil inside the box. I thought, what the heck? I doubt anything will grow, but since the seeds are here, I’ll give it a go. Would you believe they grew into a big basil plant? I can’t believe it! But, it’s so nice to have fresh basil by the window in my kitchen.

There’s just something so satisfying about growing your own food. I can’t explain it, but if you do have your own garden, I’m sure you get exactly what I’m talking about. For all your gardeners, enjoy the fresh produce you have grown this summer. For those of you that can’t or don’t, maybe you can visit your local farmer’s market and get something fresh and tasty, but that’s just the way I see it.