When I was young, my parents grew a large garden every year. We lived in a small town in central Illinois, so it was easy to come across large sections of land. My mother had a small garden in our back yard and it was an excellent place during summer rainstorms. I have fond memories of squishing my feet until they were covered in muddy goodness. It's a good thing that we had a garden hose!
My parents' larger garden included an assortment of tomato, potato, pepper, rhubarb and beans. It was located in the back of a friend's farm field. We harvested buckets of produce every summer and canned the extras for use during the winter. My mother truly has a green thumb. She can pick up a dead twig and make it grow, while my attempts at gardening seem to die instantaneously.
Two years ago, I decided to change that and have my own garden. I purchased planters, seeds, and fertilizer and waited with endless optimism to plant my tomato and peppers. Apparently Memorial Day is not a good time to start plants. The first produced just as fall and frost descended upon Chicago.
Last summer, I had much better luck as I started my seeds inside in March. We were able to enjoy fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, carrots and the most incredible jalapenos on the planet.
This year is my greatest garden endeavor to date. I have a raised bed in a community garden and a concrete backyard jungle behind my house. Join me as I see just how much can be produced from 32 square feet.
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