The time has come. The garden is planted.

We have the usual suspects this year:

• Zucchini
• Butternut squash
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Cantalope
• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Chili peppers
• Green pepers
• Corn
• Peas
• Watermelon

In containers on the back porch, we have cilantro, basil, and some shallots. The raspberries and strawberries are already working their way back.

Every year we plant our garden and we’re always glad we did. It took some work to get it to this point. It wasn’t quite as large the first year or decorative the second year. But after expanding it to 20×20, we added the path and archway. Clematis grows up the archway and we also have lavender on either side. Soon, we’ll add marigolds to the garden in a few empty areas.

This was the one year we didn’t make any major changes to the garden. I would, however, like to build cold frames. I’m not sure if they will happen this year, because home renovation has been our main priority. We spent the last two years building a workshop on our property. I’m really glad we’ve turned our attention to the house, now, so further garden improvements might be on hold for the time being.

It’s strange to think this garden will be completely green in a month or so. Every year, we rotate where we plant the veggies. Never the same area two years in a row! Mind you, I’m not doing this scientifically. That is, I’m not saying, “Okay, since the corn was there last year, I need to follow-up with beans in the same spot this time.” I really just swap sides and ends of the garden for the plants, so they get rotated in a circle of sorts. The peas aren’t even going in the garden this year. We think they don’t like so much direct sunlight, so they’re closer to the house, where there’s partial shade.

The nice thing about living in the same place for five years is you learn what works and what doesn’t.