The First Harvest

Today, I would like to share the joy of the first fruits of the laboring gardener.

The day has finally arrived. You have toiled and strove to create a beautiful, flourishing garden. You finally begin your harvest. The garden is green and blossoming. You walk out and immediately spot the ripe and ready produce standing proudly in your nutritious soil. The mission to collect your delicious crop has begun. You pull carrots, you pluck tomatoes, and you yank hardy beets. Gathering in your arms (or basket) your delicious goods, you walk inside to wash off the dirt and enjoy eating the fruits of your hard labor. 

Yum!!

Laboring to get the first fruits of your harvest is an exciting moment. You discover where you succeeded (and failed) in your efforts to grow an abundant garden. You see where you can learn more and where you have discovered how to grow the perfect vegetable. My husband and I picked our first harvest this past week, and it was exciting! From it, we created a salad that, for the first time, consisted of all our own vegetables. There is such reward and joy in picking and then eating our own food!


So I end this short, reminiscing blog with a couple questions: What joys have you experienced harvesting your garden? And, what is your favorite produce that you are looking forward to harvesting?

                           Happy gardening! 

-Amanda

Our first harvest.

A Hint of Mint

Growing bug free vegetables is the challenge of every gardener. No matter which part of the world you may live in, the bugs come seeking to devour your precious plants. Rather than use insecticide, there are many natural methods to repelling these bothersome creatures.

Mint is a common herb but one that can help in this endeavor. It is a hardy plant, and it can grow in almost any environment. It brings a fresh fragrance to your garden, but it also serves as a bug deterrent to ants, flies, fleas and even mice. It doesn't just repel, though. It attracts a gardener's favorite friend: the earthworm.

 To begin planting mint, you can start from a seed or buy a plant. Buying the plant is suggested since mint takes longer than others to sprout and come to maturity. Make sure to plant the mint in a location that will receive the bright morning sun but some shade in the afternoon.

The one downfall to mint are its roots. Although it will not choke your other plants, it can quickly take over a garden. It spreads its roots outward while sprouting new leaves, and it can soon become a pesky weed rather than a simple bug deterrent plant. To keep it in check, many have suggested the use of mulch around the plant as well as constant thinning.

As it matures, the mint will continue to grow steadily, and its leaves can be used for many things inside the kitchen. One of my favorite things to do with mint is add it to my black tea. This gives it a lovely, subtle hint of flavor.

Mint is a perfect plant to add to your garden bed for this growing season. Enjoy gardening! :)

-----Amanda