Garden

I love fresh veggies.  When I was growing up, my family had a garden about the size of most people's living rooms.  And I remember coming home from school, walking out to one of the tomato plants and pulling off a plump, ripe tomato, which I would then eat like an apple.  I remember sitting in front of the TV with my siblings with a huge pile of beans to snap.  I remember canning those beans with my mom.  So many wonderful memories, and let me tell you, there is NOTHING better than fresh home-grown veggies. I have always wanted to have a garden, but we rent.  Landlords tend to frown upon people mucking up the grounds.

So, when we moved into our apartment in March and one of the ladies that lives there was putting together a community garden, you can imagine how excited I was.  I envisioned myself pulling that plump ripe tomato off the vine again. I couldn't wait to feel the sense of accomplishment that I used to feel when I ate something that I had helped plant.  I was excited to have squash and cucumbers (and, I was excited to cut our grocery bill.)  So we got together and planted.  And I waited.  The only thing I was concerned about is that Crissy, in her desire to be cheap, used branches from trees that she found on the ground to stake up the tomatoes.  I told her to "break the bank" and actually get some more sturdy dowels.  But I wasn't in charge.

When you're not in charge, things don't turn out exactly like you wanted them to.

My finger for comparison

I don't eat okra, and I told Crissy I didn't want any, but for some reason and okra plant was put in next to my squash.  Apparently there is a reason okra is a southern food.  It grows.  And grows.  So now, I have an okra TREE in my part of the garden.  The stalk is literally three inches in diameter.  I wouldn't have a problem with this, except for one thing:



It killed my squash.  You see that bare spot next to the okra tree? Front left?  That's where it was.  I got one little tiny squash before monster okra took over and killed it.

And the tomatoes I have been looking forward to all year?  I was right about the stakes.  Because the stakes weren't actually keeping the plants upright, they decided to get friendly and grow into a tomato lump.  So now I have to penetrate the Devil's Snare to get at the lovely red spheres.  At least they are alive.  The other thing that is alive still are the peppers.  Now, back when we were planning this garden we said that we would have two kinds of pepper- green bell peppers and jalapenos.  And I was very clear that I was more interested in the bell peppers.  Crissy kept calling them "sweet" peppers, but I thought that was just what she called them.  Well, I'm not sure if there was a mix up at the seed bank or if chrissy didn't actually understand what I wanted when I said "bell pepper", but for some reason we have banana peppers, not bell peppers.  NOT the same thing.

Now I'm not a total poor sport.  I have been experimenting with what we have- I learned how to make a actually really yummy okra, tomato, and banana pepper dish.  I've experimented with the jalapenos- Marshall likes them.  They're way too hot for me though.  I've even experimented with the collards that also grow WAY too well...  I'm not sure I'm actually going to eat that dish.

I just can't wait until I have my own place and I can decide what I do and don't want. And how I want to plant it.  Because if I decide to grow okra, it's gonna be WAY far away from my squash.