I don’t like talking about myself… so that means I am going to force myself to do it at least once a month.

Here’s a not so little known fact about me that doesn’t involve wedding photography.

I like to garden, but I’m not good about keeping things alive (unless they’re on a sprinkler system). I also tend to jump the gun, and buy something I would like to grow, but don’t do any sort of research about when and where to plant it.

Here recently, I’ve really dug deep (pun intended) into growing produce. I have a small vegetable garden on the side of the house with 4 raised beds and a brand new trellis/arch.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos on growing the specific plants (after I’ve planted them) to try to save them or help them produce more or larger fruit.

Some of the easiest things I’ve grown are:

• Cucumbers – comes back every year (because I leave at least one over grown, yellow cucumber at it’s base to restart the next season’s plants)
• Basil – very prolific (comes back every year on it’s own)
• Chives – I have had this chive plant for 3 or 4 years now. It lasts through the winter and even tolerated being moved with out batting an eye.
• Okra (new this year) – each plant (we have 3) produces 1-3 okra every 2-3 days. Some of the okra plants have new offshoots from the main stock that are also producing fruit now. Also, the flower is very pretty.

My favorite things growing in the garden, currently are:

• Cucumbers – I am making so many jars of pickles.
• Black-eyed peas – Yum! I love beans. I pick about 3 pea pods every day. Next year I will try to plant more plants, because it takes me about a month to have enough peas for a meal for 3.
• Chives – I love having fresh chives almost any time I want it.

I’m most excited for this winter’s crop. Last year I barely put an effort into the winter garden. I had a few radishes and a few beets. this year, I have several things that I have already started to grow. I have a few little seedlings coming up under the summer plants.

Most importantly is the amount of garlic I’m hoping to grow this winter/spring. I already have 5 garlic plants growing in a pot (by my kitchen sink… because I jumped the gun in growing them and it’s too soon for them to go outside).

Do you have a garden you are proud of? What are you growing?