Gardeners Delight

Sweet peas from the farmer's market this morning

I expanded my garden considerably this year due to many reasons, but the most significant one was the urging of Darrin. You see, Darrin made fun of my garden the first year we were dating and honestly because I got so sick in the middle of the summer it didn’t produce all that well. We had a few tomatoes and squash but that was about it. The next year he made fun of me again, but this time helped out. He installed a wonderful drip system and we planted several different varieties of peppers, tomatoes and even a cantaloupe for his son. The cantaloupe didn’t fare too well, but the peppers took off like gangbusters and we ate roasted peppers almost every day until the first frost.

He was hooked.

He started talking about expanding the garden to include more of the side yard, we added more wine barrels and he started looking at every square inch of plantable space. He even planted veggies in his own front yard.

Part of my expansion included things I have never tried before including strawberries, asparagus, blackberries and rasberries. I have always wanted asparagus, but because it’s a long term commitment, I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle it. But after realizing that I have been in this house for six years and the housing market isn’t likely to turn around any time soon, I’ll be here for awhile.

I spent about 8 hours working on my new asparagus bed. Taking out old plants, digging up the soil, adding compost and shredded leaves. I planted my crowns, watered…and came home to find the boys building a fort on top of my new asparagus bed.

I cried.

I despaired of anything actually growing.

That was a month and a half ago. I kept watering once a week, just in case. This morning I decided that today was going to be the last day I was going to water, since there was no point in just wasting water…I have an asparagus spear! Well, two actually! Little tiny things that don’t look like have much chance of survival, but I have 2 spears!!!

I’m not sure what the chances are for maturity, since after I planted them I read that asparagus doesn’t like hot summers. Well, it is supposed to be 100 degrees this Monday…