Fruits (and Vegetables) of my labor!

Every since we got a house I have begged and begged for a garden. The hubs is obsessive about his yard, so it has been difficult for me to try to talk him into digging up and destroying some of his hard labored grass...he actually won yard of the month last year! Finally, last year, he said yes! So we plotted it out and came up with a space small enough to please him, but big enough to give me a nice garden. Turns out the hubs enjoyed having a garden so much he let me expand it this year (twice its size!)...and even more excited, we both agreed it is STILL not big enough so next year we are going EVEN BIGGER! :o)

I love having a garden in my backyard, so do my neighbors! It's so nice to be able to pick fresh veggies and herbs knowing that I grew them myself and that they don't have crappy pesticides all over them. I wanted to share some of what I picked this weekend with yall. I can't believe I am still getting strawberries...those berries are the best berries, nothing like what you buy in the store!

So what all did I plant you ask? Well here is the rundown:

Basil
Thyme
Cilantro
Parsley
Dill
Romaine Lettuce
Red Onions
Garlic :o)
Green Peppers
Tomatoes (several types)
Cucumbers
I tried Zucchini, but it didn't make it. It needed more space. So next year for sure.


I had to share this cucumber with yall because it is seriously the biggest cucumber ever!! (I actually gave it to the neighbors to enjoy!) It was probably a foot and a half long and at its thickest point maybe three inches wide!

I actually have no recipe to share with you today, but wanted to share the "fruits (and veggies) of my labor"! I spent all day Sunday making my homemade spaghetti sauce using veggies from the garden. It's a recipe I have worked hard at mastering and I usually make HUGE batches of it to freeze.

Here are a few pictures of my actual garden. As you can see it is VERY crowded! And my stupid cucumbers are out of control!! I keep having to go out and trim them and tie them up. If you are wondering why I have flowers in my garden here is a tip:

Plant Marigolds in your garden around the perimeter. They help keep bunnies out! I also put Moth Balls around the perimeter to help keep things out. Haven't had any problems in the two years I have had a garden. I don't use any pesticides either.

I told you my cucumbers were out of control! The hubs keeps mowing over them because they are starting to take over the yard! LOL