DO YOU GARDEN? I am researching a book called "My Very First Garden" (about edible gardening... fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.) and need your true stories! Do you have a good (or even bad!) memory about the first garden you ever did? Was it inside in pots, outside when you were a kid, or in a community garden? Did you harvest anything or did the rabbits get it all? Please submit your short but true story to vikkibooks at yahoo dot com by April 27 2010. Your submission implies your consent to use your story and the possibility of (minor) editing. Thanks!

9/26: Garden Bounty

It had begun to sprinkle a bit shortly after dinner so Doug and I started to sit on the front porch, just a married couple enjoying the fresh moist breeze. But we'd barely sat down when we'd noticed a few red globes in front of us. Doug went inside for the colander and I started picking roma tomatoes. About 30 of them! And about 12 yellow pears, and about 8 golden mamas. Then we couldn't stop: the vine with a birdhouse gourd on it was dead so we took that off, and 4 small green striped gourds. We saw our pumpkin vines are having a growth spurt, and our black turtle beans are ready to be picked. We'll have a few more strawberries and raspberries in a few days.

When we came in with our goodies, I spread out some newspaper on the dining room floor, and placed the 4 small green striped gourds, the birdhouse gourd, and the butternut and Mexican X-top we picked last week. We need to find some crates this weekend and arrange the basement with the crates, clearly labeled, and the gourds stored with crumpled newspaper.

The dipper gourd and a newly discovered birdhouse gourd are still outside because those vines are still alive. When it's time to bring them in and they've cured, they'll go downstairs in a labeled crate with newspaper too. Then, in the winter when we're bored, we'll drag them and the small striped gourds out and see what we can do, craft-wise.

Meanwhile, it appears Doug will be picking string beans from the corn bed this weekend, and Weslee will be uprooting and picking the dried-out black turtle beans. I'll be slicing and dehydrating, and freezing if I can find room in there!

I'm thinking we'll have a good healthy and bountiful winter. For novice gardeners, we did a great job!

Vikki www.newviewgroupllc.com

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