Witness a couple carrots from a recent harvest and the softball sized beet that was plucked Sunday afternoon and eaten a couple hours later.

Then there is the Basilico Italiano that was started with heirloom seeds that my sister inlaw gave me – isn’t it pretty?

There’s a lot more than that… Yellow crookneck squash, black beauty zucchini, Love Joy Farm tomatoes, several types of lettuce, red peppers and various herbs. I’m sure I’m forgetting things too.

Back to the beet and carrot harvest. The word that comes to mind is sweet. Now, I’m not a beet eater but was given some heirloom seeds by a friend – orange and purple. Both were planted this winter and I am confessing here that since I’ve never grown beets before some of those seeds never had a chance – I thought they were weeds when they first poked through the dirt and my weed picking compulsion picked them out and discarded them in the compost bin. Now I know better. A new row has been planted and the summer beetlings are breaking ground.

Getting back to why I don’t like beets – it’s simple – they taste like dirt…. Except for the one plucked on Sunday. Not only did it not taste like dirt but it was beautiful. After peeling, I sliced it open. It was bright fuscia with swirly white patterns throughout. I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture. I stared at it for a few minutes thinking about how amazing mother nature is before putting it on the chopping block.

Within 2 hours of picking it was eaten. I cubed it up, tossed it in olive oil, seasoned with s&p, put it in foil and popped into a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes.

The carrots, while not growing to be very big were little pop in the mouth nuggets. What they lacked on size surely made up in flavor – unbeliveably sweet and crunchy. I need to figure out how to make them grow bigger so they last longer than a little nugget. More carrots are being planted too.

What do you get when Craig’s List crosses an abundant fruit and vegetable harvest? Veggie Trader! What a brilliant idea – created to connect people who have more veggies than they can manage themselves with people who will trade for or buy the surplus.

While there isn’t a lot of trading going on in my zip code or 10 mile radius, this is a great idea and I have high hopes that the Veggie Trader will catch on.

Each time I go to my garden I am amazed by how much things have grown in such a short period of time. Lately, there is always a strawberry or ten to pick and pop into my mouth and the lettuce and arugula has grown so quickly that I no longer buy lettuce at the store. The tomatoes are turning red and there are dozens more blooms that should produce fruit. The cucumber has gone from 1 inch to 8 practically overnight. All of the herbs – parsley, chives, basil, thyme, mint and tarragon are growing like weeds and I bring some home to cook with, for salads, and for garnish each time I go to the garden. I’ve even been giving away the parsley it’s growing so quickly!

In this picture, from left to right is lettuce – the little gem mix plus butter lettuce farther right, Japanese cucumber in the top, tomatoes on the far right and on the bottom from left to right is parsley. thyme (flowering), chives tarragon, arugula, red pepper and the cosmos.

While there are grand plans for what to plant next, I am currently at capacity and will enjoy the bounty through the summer and then revisit what to plant for fall.

Everything was going so well with the plot. I have been visiting every few days, watering – especially during the heat wave and watching things grow. It’s remarkable how much has happened in three weeks. The cosmos have several blooms and are filling out and getting tall, the tomatoes expanding in their cages, strawberries blooming – soon fruit will be on the way… even the lettuce seeds were popping up through the soil. The worms are also thriving. This morning I saw three long, fat, pinkish-brownish ones doing their worm thing.

I was picking around the lettuce, starting to think about thinning some of it out when I realized that not everything popping of the soil was lettuce, and upon further review, noticed that not only was it mixed in the lettuce but entwined around the cosmos, coming up from under the perimeter and springing up amongst the strawberries, lavender, and even around the base of the tomatoes.

Scratching my head with a bewildered look on my face one of the fellow gardeners walked by and said, “uhoh, looks like you have the crabgrass.” I thought oh no, who invited the crabgrass? As it turns out, before the plot was built, the ground it inhabits was full of crabgrass. In addition to the hedge of roses, the grass grew thick. When the space was cleared, borders laid, and soil spread, little did I know what lay underneath would thrive once my garden had been planted.

Now I am on a mission to control the crabgrass. I spent several hours digging out what had sprung up, following its roots that zigged and zagged all over the place. After what was in the plot was removed I attacked the surrounding path that was overrun with the stuff.

It is by no means gone but progress has been made and now I can stay on top of it although it is going to require constant battle. Later. I did some research and have learned that the best way to organically control the crabgrass is with corn gluten and of course, copious weeding. Nobody ever said this gardening was going to be easy and the crabgrass is just part of the adventure. In the meantime, the chives, parsley and thyme are also growing like weeds and the halibut marinating in the refrigerator has fresh herbs from my garden!

My Mom gave me this orchid for Valentine’s Day. At the time, it was heavy with blooms; only one or two flowers were actually open. Within the first week a couple of buds shriveled and fell off. I was afraid she wasn’t adapting to my environment. Slowly she settled in and what a difference two months makes! Look at her now, full of blooms and going strong! I admire her before I leave for work in the morning and when I return at night. Each time I look at her I smile. Thanks Mom!