My $6 Garden...

To say that I'm busy right now would be an understatement. 

It's been so hectic that I actually had to put Stella in daycare for a few days (Thanks Ann!) just to find time to get everything done. When I picked her up last night, I ended up taking her to class with me. She walked around, watching everyone build their workbenches, just wanting to play. 

She sure does love that Frisbee.

But one thing is certain - no matter how busy life gets, the sun keeps rising every morning and the household chores keep piling up. And my garden keeps on truckin'....

Back in March, some friends and I decided to start a gardening group. I think it stemmed from the fact that we were tired of starting our gardens by purchasing plants at the local garden centers, often spending a ton of money for plants that weren't all that healthy. Instead, we each chose a few plants and started everything from seeds. For around $6, each of us started 3 different plants, and then traded them six weeks later, when they had sprouted.  

I wrote about starting everything in this blogpost in March. Here are some of the amazing plants that were brought to my shop - everything from Lupe's ridiculously healthy tomatoes, to some store-bought plants because Ann's starters died before she got them to us! 

We literally had so many plants, I had to give them away to anyone who would take them... hundreds!

 It took me three separate weekends to get everything in the ground! 

(I'm fast forwarding a bit - but here it is this morning!)

 Within a few weeks, the magic began...

 I didn't know what these slender shoots were, but when they rolled over and turned cellophane-y, I dug them up... 

only to find that I'd been growing shallots all winter! 

If you've never cooked with a shallots, you need to! And I have pounds of them to share!

Here is the humble squash garden after roughly 2 weeks, 

and here it is a month later...

and a few weeks later.

 And now it's taken over the sidewalk, 

with huge spaghetti squash popping up  every few feet on the vine.

Lupe's japanese eggplant seem pretty happy - there are clusters of them everywhere! 

  

This year's garden has to be the best ever, it's as if everything is on turbo-drive... the zucchini are happy.

 the chard grows so much, I can barely keep up with it! 

And the beet garden is maybe the best it's ever been. 

 Even the nectarines are exploding!

I'm not sure how my garden buddies' gardens are faring, but I really hope they're enjoying everything as much as I am!

Even the ornamentals wanted to get in on the party!

Sundays are for a little relaxation and garden maintenance! Honestly, I don't even have the time to cook most of the things that are growing right now! I'd rather sit back and just watch things grow. 

 Hope the start to your summer is going well, too!