Part Three: Fruits & Veggies.

Saturday mornings are a time I enjoy being home. Well, to be more specific, I enjoy being around a TV. Why? Because the KARE 11 Grow with KARE segment is always on with Belinda and her dad. I love those two. Last Saturday, I learned that our gardening season here in Minnesota is 110 days - I have always estimated May through October, which is not correct. There was also advice on reading seed packets, but this year I am not buying any seed packets! So happy about this! I have saved seeds from all the fruits and veggies last year that I grew and will be growing those downstairs soon. Hmm, wait a second, I take that back, I will be buying a few seed packets! I don't have any zucchini seeds or sunflower seeds. Alright, I'll be a buying a couple. So now I'll mention the advice that was given: to look at the maturity date.

The maturity date is the key piece of information on a seed packet. With such a short growing season here in Minnesota, growing anything that takes longer or close to our growing season just makes no sense. Even the cantaloupes were tough last year as frost got the best of them come September and October. I feel confident with my choices this year, including a couple new ones to try (supposedly eggplant is harder to grow - but I shall conquer this!)

Continuing this Part Three from my garden series (yes, I called my blog posts a series - see Part One and Part Two for more garden pictures) the focus is on the fruits and veggies from last year. Pictures below.

Part Three: Fruits & Veggies. 

The Garden. Summer 2012.

Cantaloupe growing! These guys spread like no other, be prepared.  

A little friend I found while planting the gladiolas. He's currently hiding under the chive plant.

What a cutie.

This side of the garden included (from L-R):
Radishes, Lettuce, Green Peppers, Beets, Cantaloupe, Squash, and Pumpkins

  

Tomatoes! I grew three varieties:

Big Boys, Yellow Pear, and Sweet Cherries

So proud. All from the garden.

There's a taste of garden-grown veggies you can't get at the stores.

The pumpkin starting! So fun to watch these guys grow.

And leaf lettuce! A bit too much dirt to wash off for my liking, this year I plan on growing cabbage instead!

I had about six good cobs of corn before the critters got the rest. Corn takes a lot of care and a lot of water I learned. The dried stalks were great for Autumn/Halloween - worth the work:

I tied the dried stalks to our pillars out front and here is my brother and I with the pumpkins from the garden. (the little pie pumpkins that is!)

This sunflower was picked clean by the birds.
Luckily, I had five others to choose from to gather seeds and roast them.
Even threw them in a pot I made in ceramics class from school!

The little pie pumpkin that grew! And squash on the right.

Loved seeing this little guy in the yard.

And there you have it! The majority of the garden. What you didn't see were cucumbers (which are on the side of the house), garlic and onions in the ground, and the beans. I am already looking forward to the sweaty weed pulling this summer. Let this growing season begin!

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