Right in My Own Backyard A Cornwall gardening experience: Right in My Own Backyard

Okay, this isn't my first time having a vegetable garden, but I am still quite a novice. Last summer was only the second time I'd tried my hand at gardening. The first time was about 10 yrs ago, so I really don't know all that much about it.

Funnily enough when I first tried gardening, I went into it fully expecting to hate it. I am by no means an outdoor person. I hate the heat, the bugs, and getting dirty. So what made me think I'd like to garden? I don't know, but I loved it. In spite of the heat, the bugs and the dirt, I was actually out there every single day pulling weeds, raking, watering and just standing there admiring the transformation that was taking place. Maybe it's the creative side of me; the idea of something produced by my own hand that let me put all of that "icky" stuff out of my head and just go for it.

That first garden I had was a community garden in which I grew green beans, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes (which sprung up out of nowhere - I didn't plant them) and I even managed a few ears of corn! The corn, peppers and broccoli were no great success, but we got a meal out of it. I'll tell you, I never knew what a green bean tasted like until I ate one from my own garden; or any other vegetable for that matter!

garden summer of 2009 cucumbers, blue potatoes, bell peppers, green beans, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes

So, last summer I decided I wanted to take up gardening again, and I had quite a nice, little space. It was probably about 8' x 6' in which I planted green beans - my faves - beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and get this: blue potatoes! I mean blue all the way through; not just the skin. I'd never heard of anything like that in my life. I've since found out that there are red potatoes too. Naturally, I'll have to make a patriotic potato salad this summer. Anyhow, last year's garden turned out quite well. I was really pleased. So much so that at the end of the last season I decided to expand my garden to 9' x 24'. My ideas of what I was going to do with my plot this summer have changed. I've been doing a little research and I'm going to experiment with some new ideas - well new to me anyway, and good or bad, I'll be posting it here for the world to see. So, let's see what comes of it.

From blossom to fruit

Cherry tomato blossoms

And here they are beginning to ripen

My first little harvest

                      My first bell pepper -                    Blue potato blossom
           they were supposed to   be red,
                  but  never quite made it