It's Fun Grocery Shopping In My Backyard!

I had fun today "grocery shopping" in my backyard. Most of the stuff in the garden is not ready yet but I did get some zucchini, lettuce, one small serrano pepper, and one small red potato. The best part is, I don't have to pay for it! I still have to wash the dirt off, but at least I don't have to worry about e-coli or salmonella recalls on my own homegrown food.

For dinner tonight we had lasagna (nothing from the garden in it), fried zucchini with Nature's Seasoning on it, and a small salad with the lettuce I picked (the carrots are from the store). I planted carrots this year but I don't think they came up at all. I'm not 100% sure, but I think there are only weeds in that area. Once the tomatoes are ripe, I'll add them to the sauce next time I make lasagna.

I Have Such Wonderful Neighbors!

My neighbors are so great! I was seriously losing the battle of the weeds in my garden. I've been doing what I can to keep the weeds down, but catching a cold didn't help matters. The weeds were taking over! My neighbors came over with their small tiller and tilled between the rows for me. They also did some weeding around the plants and hoed some irrigation trenches for better watering. They were almost done by the time I saw them out my window. I went out and helped a little.

There are still a conseridable amount of weeds around the plants. I am mostly over my cold except for a lingering stuffy nose. So, what did I do this time? I tripped over a step-stool and killed my little toe! I suspect it might be broken, but I don't want to go spend hundreds of dollars at the emergency room just to have it taped to the other toe. I tried taping it myself but any kind of pressure on it hurts. Since I can't stand any shoes other than flip-flops right now, I had to paint my toenails for fun. I went out last night and weeded the garden for a couple hours anyway. My toe didn't hurt much while I was outside, but it changed colors from blue to purple.

I think I'll take a little break from weeding for a little while so my toe can heal. I'll have to get the kids out there to help me instead. I still believe that growing your own food is worth all the work. At least I know it's safe. The question I had on my mind as I was weeding last night was, "If e-coli is found in manure, and soil is treated with manure, does that contaminate the food that is grown in it?" I don't know the answer to this question. If I find the answer, I will post it. My garden is manure free.

My Garden

I finally finished planting my garden last Monday. It has been so cold and rainy here, I haven't been able to get any seeds planted. I started last Friday since the weather had been dry for a couple days. I planted six rows of corn and some serrano peppers for my husband before it started raining again. I was in Salt Lake City all day Saturday, so I finished planting on Monday since the weather was dry again. This is only my second garden ever. I actually enjoy going outside and working in the dirt. I just make sure to wash my hands thoroughly when I am done, including under my fingernails. This year, I'm growing sweet corn, blue corn, red potatoes, carrots, spaghetti squash, zucchini, pumpkins, tomatoes, lettuce, serrano peppers and jalapeno peppers (my husband likes to torture himself with the hot stuff). I also planted strawberries in my flower bed. Last year I planted watermelon seeds but, like this year, it was cold and rainy well into June. Watermelon needs heat and sunlight (which I didn't know last year) so it didn't come up at all. I am going to try again this year, so I'm waiting for warm weather before I plant those seeds. Again, I am a total amatuer at this. I'm learning as I go. I will be happy with whatever survives and provides me with food. At least I won't have to worry about recalls due to e-coli or salmonella contamination on the food I grow.