A view of our vegetable garden

(My dad's favorite kind of post!!)

The weather has been great, and with school on hold I have been able to spend some time in the garden.  There is nothing better than taking a patch of freshly-tilled soil and creating and structuring the "perfect" garden (for the current year, at least).  This is my favorite part of gardening!

garden entrance: come on in!

perennials (and some annuals) along the garage wall...
I need to mulch all of it once I'm done planting.
(see the peas creeping up on the very left)

I got a peony blossom this year!!!

This is a perfect snapshot of my garden: a little bit of weeds,
a little bit of order, and a little bit of rogue over-wintering
plants that I just can't BEAR to pull out despite their poor
choice of location.  (bachelor buttons behind the watering can,
and snapdragons in the tomato patch)

My newly created "hot and cold" bed
(I put cabbage right next to the eggplant,
peppers, and basil.  Whatever.)

Gemma heard that I wanted to plant eggplant, so she helped.
I'll hate to tell her that she planted it in the aisle way.  :o(

     Let me pause here and tell you how amazed I am at my children.  First, Gemma.  I had just structured the above bed, and told her about the plan for eggplants, and she immediately brought over an eggplant start.  How many 4-year-olds even know what an eggplant plant looks like??? :o)  Then I had to leave and chase after Sedric.  When I got back out to the garden, I found that she actually planted, by herself, the eggplant.  She dug the hole, gently took the plant out of the little pot, and even amended the soil with lime and bonemeal.  She is amazing.  I think I'll let her take over from here.
    Next, James.  He spent an hour out with me, adding compost to all my newly-planted annual flowers and some veggies.  Then he watered them all!!  He is a hard worker, and always wants to be helpful.  I think he deserves a trip to Panda Express for some Orange Chicken.

One bed left to plant.  I think I'll do all seeds in this one.
Zinnia, beets, wax beans, lettuce, carrots, green onions.

Still lots of work left to do.  This area in the back couldn't be tilled because I wanted to save an over-wintering mum (I think I have a problem) so I have to hand-weed it:

Some transplanted fall aster and daisy, and my Sweet
William that came back from last year and is flowering
this year.  Will plant scarlet runner beans on the fence.

Some of my tomatoes.  I think I have about
20 in the garden, and the rest will have to go
in the "auxiliary garden" near the barn.

So much to do, so many plans and dreams for my garden and landscaping.  Good thing we have a long weekend ahead of us!  Looking forward to a lot of time outside, and a lot of strawberry shortcake....