Home Garden Veggies

This is not a recipe post per se, but, it seemed like a good time to bid adieu to the spring and summer garden which is a mini-indulgence for me.

I am not a die-hard gardener, nor am I gifted with a superb green thumb, but, I love plants of all sorts. I've managed to get by for the last decade or so working on a small patch in the backyard early spring through end of autumn, learning a little each year and getting a little better at it.

Some plants in the garden are perennial, of course, and they've been returning every year for a few years now without much coaxing from me.

And some are what I choose to plant each year - staples being eggplant, tomatoes, chilies, greens, peas, beans, and squashes - both summer and winter ones. Plus, a handful that catch my fancy -- like, kohlrabi, collard greens, cauliflower, cucumber that I planted this year.

Planting certain herbs and veggies in close proximity to each other tends to help - like basil with tomatoes and peppers, catnip near squashes, chilies with eggplant, sunflower near just about every patch, plus onions and garlic shoots wherever I can squeeze in a few, to keep aphids in check.

Composting is a way of life, and I've been experimenting with Lasagna gardening. We don't use pesticides, so the yield is unpredictable. When possible I try using natural repellents like chili powder garlic spray as needed to keep the cabbage moths away.

The picture collages shared below are not as stunning to behold as the plants were in the garden at peak season, but, they capture the essence of summer for me so I can stash away the memories of walking into the backyard and picking what's ready and making a meal out of it most days.


There was the usual herbs and garnishes like mint, oregano, fennel, basil, Thai basil, and spring onions...

Peas, peas, peas when it was colder in spring time... and, am hoping that fall peas survive and yield fine as well...

Greens both tender and fairly mature -- like, fenugreek, mustard greens, rainbow chard, kale, collard greens, beet greens, Romaine lettuce...

Green beans and wax yellow beans....

Some potatoes...

Tomatoes of a few favorite kinds...

Eggplant -- Ichiban being my favorite...

Zucchini and winter squash....

Chilies - Kung pao, Lemon drop, Thai red, and Ghost peppers!

Red currants, black currants, grapes, pears...

Some of the fall crop is surviving, and maybe I will get to post an update in a month or so about the kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, garlic, spinach, chard, kale, collard greens, peas, and lettuce growing in the garden.

For now, it seems like all I can do is save the seeds to plant next year and hope that I have the energy and interest to do some gardening again next growing season.