Bumper Crop

Well folks, it’s getting to be that time of year again!  Soon we can plant our gardens, actually this weekend according to the “rules” of Mothers Day.  Then we can look forward to reaping the bountiful rewards through summer into fall!  

We’ve been planting a garden for years, some years bigger and better than others, but for the most part – there's always something growing.

We have strawberries and leeks that come back every year on their own, all we have to do is maintain them and keep the birds and bunnies away – other than netting (chicken wire) and weeding, they take care of themselves (the leeks rule, I use the greens in EVERYTHING)!

Out in the big garden however, the one where we grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green beans and carrots, well, that one requires effort.  We have clay based soil in the back which hubby churns for me at the beginning of the season each year.  Sometimes I roll little marbles out of the white clay he dig’s up.  It’s cool stuff!  Just think in the 1700’s we could have had a pottery business right out of the yard – O’MaHoopers Crockery.  

And we are good “green” citizens composting year round and farming rain water off the roof in the summer using a giant 210 gallon enclosed plastic vat – it does makes difference.  

Anyway, I realized I never shared my bumper crop of carrots with you all last fall – so folks – here they are!!!  

Look at them all, beautiful huh?  Yeah – those grocery stores and their fake “baby” carrots.  We grew the real thing – super duper baby carrots!

These weren’t dug out until the end of October – you know, to give them longer to grow and get big!

Look – some are a full inch long!  Man do I have a green thumb or what??  Yeah – you can just call me a Master Gardener.

Hey, we had had enough to make one fantastic Shepherd’s Pie, so we did eat them and yes, they were tasty.  No need to cut them up, just rinse and take the tops off.  Efficient – that’s what these little guys were! 

Oh, you think you can do better? Then by all means, get yourself a planting.  A bag of seeds is usually less than a buck.  Then when its harvest time, pull those little guys out and send me a picture – yeah – this is a full on challenge! 

OK, there is no prize, other than the fact that you grew them yourself and you get to eat them, they really are delicious when they are this small….