The Smith Family is Now Zero-Impact!

This is the harvest from the Smith garden.  For years, Jill had suggested that my garden spot next to the house was a tad shady to actually grow anything.  How much sun do plants need?

Apparently, more than they were getting.  So I dug a new garden in a much sunnier spot, spread compost (from our own compost pile), and planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, basil, and more. The garden took off. 

Who knew?  The sunnier spot (and maybe the compost) did the trick.  Well, technically, Jill knew.

We have tomatoes, basil, peppers, and an enormous amount of cucumber vines (but never any actual cucumbers).  We also have a handful of green beans, and more rosemary than one family can use in a lifetime.  I've also had a garlic plant that doesn't seem to like to grow garlic (but it smells like garlic!) now for four years.  And the girls' individual plots had a wide variety of cool wildflowers this year.  And those were actually planted, I'm not using "wildflowers" as a euphenism for "weeds."

Perhaps we're not quite at self-sufficient.  We have no cattle or livestock (but if we did, Blossom would be in seventh heaven - "things to herd!").  But I can say we have moved much closer to a tomato-based diet.  Tomatoes with basil.  Sauteed tomatoes with rosemary.  Tomato, green bean, and cucumber vine salad, with a basil / rosemary dressing.  Peppers with rosemary (with tomatoes and basil on the side).  Baked rosemary.  Tomatoes with wild flowers.  The possibilities and recipes are endless.