Views From My Garden
When people see my garden, they usually gawk at how expansive it is. Yes it’s big, and keeping a garden of that size can seem like a daunting task. But I believe gardening is crucial in raising a family, and tending to the garden is one of our favorite family activities.
We have easy summer crops anyone can grow: squash, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, okra, peppers of all kinds, herbs, plums, figs…I think you get the idea.
I just can’t stop talking about my garden this year. With all the work we put into it, we hoped and prayed it was going to yield a great harvest. In fact, it has been a particularly great harvest this year—one for the ages.
But aside from that, the garden is just downright GORGEOUS this year! You have to watch my latest garden tour! I filmed it just last week, when it was at the peak of its beauty.
The garden is still yielding great crop, but with all the heat, the plants are starting to look a little worn down. Oh well, that won’t stop me from reminiscing! Just look at these breathtaking views of my squash, tomatoes, and eggplants!
My brother dropped by for a little while the other day. It was his birthday, and was looking for a quick, healthy bite. I wanted to show him that quick and healthy doesn’t mean bland and colorless in my house!
We went out to the garden and picked some fresh veggies for us to devour together. We made traditional ratatouille! He loved it.
The thing about tomatoes is they’re not very expensive to grow, but they are definitely expensive to buy. Heirloom tomatoes, especially, can cost up to $5 per tomato. So we’re really growing a ton of tomatoes this year to get the most bang for our buck!
I have to keep a close eye on these because they need to be ripened on the vine. If they’re not vine-ripened, then we don’t want them!
By the way, both fried green tomatoes and baked green tomatoes are great in all kinds of summer dishes. Try them on your favorite sandwich, or serve them with any kind of seafood. I’m thinking crawdads!
My sweet potatoes, as you can see in the video, are finally starting to come up. We’ve had a few overnight visitors (deer) helping themselves to the sweet potato crops, but can you really blame them? We love, love, love sweet potatoes in our house.
Have you tried my Sweet Potato Fries? Girl, let me tell you. You can have them either sweet or savory. Trust me, with cinnamon and sugar, they are a real treat.
Watch the video above for all kinds of tips, including advice for the right time to harvest. This is a little tricky, as it’s important to harvest your plants at exactly the right time. One day too late or too early can make such a big difference. It’s all about experience and knowing your plants. Luckily, I’ll share my experiences with you in the video! With gardening, there’s a lifetime of learning to do!
