B is for "Bounty and Boys"

Wow...so my little garden has taken off!!!




and looking around the yard, other things are coming along too!
This first one is the plum tree in Grandpa's yard and the other is the fig tree in our yard.



Matthew had insisted on a strawberry plant and recently the boys got to taste the "fruits" of our/my labor!



We also got some strawberries at the farmer's market before they were gone and I managed for a little bit of freezer jam making. I would love to someday do some of my own canning and such but this just wasn't quite the year for it. And besides, I will need to figure out some storage space for that kind of thing. For now, I am just as happy with a little bit of jam in my freezer to be able to enjoy in the middle of winter when I am dreaming/wishing for warm sunshine!

V is for Victory

So this last weekend I finally got around to planting my garden. I had been meaning to get around to it for some time but life kind of gets in the way. I took Matthew with me on a trip to Portland Nursery which is were I usually buy starts for the garden and I let him do some of the choosing this time around. He was mostly concerned with planting a pumpkin and he also really wanted to plant a watermelon. I honestly was against the watermelon (I have never had good luck with them and apparently our weather just doesn't get hot enough for long enough) but I caved and let him have it. I did get to make a few of my own choices, zucchini, bush beans, and a small variety of lettuce, which I have actually never grown on my own. So we will see what happens. Shortly before we had gone to purchase all my starts I had been next door and Grandpa Andy had commented on how it seems we should be planting more Victory Gardens/vegetables instead of so many flowers as was done in years past in times of war. Apparently those thoughts were still on my mind when I was shopping since I did go a little overboard and still need to get a few more containers to finish planting all the extras that I bought! I think though that the Victory Garden idea is rather quaint and lovely, although in today's day it is also about sustainability. I do very much enjoy the fact that Matthew and I can provide us with some of our veg with just a little bit of extra work. I guess it's just nice to be able to not have to buy some of the basics for the dinner table! Not that I'm going to have a full blown farm here anytime soon. I am also a girl in need of some convenience (mostly for my sanity!) but I very much admire those that can live sustainably off the land like this gal ,whose blog(s) I read. I certainly don't have that much energy but I do like/enjoy doing my little bit of a garden! Now if I could only finish all the weeding that needs to be done....I also look forward to someday being able to get my children to do some of the weeding. Even if it means I have to pay them!