A Bountiful Year

How did our garden grow in 2015?

We picked zucchini and yellow crook neck till we ran out of recipes. Likewise, we could hardly keep up with the pole beans, in spite of the usual cast of insect predators. We boiled, pickled, roasted, and froze beets, then planted a second crop.

Never tasted cucumbers as good as those we grew this year - thin skinned, sweet, and crunchy. Yum! The bell peppers seemed to have come to us with an ingrown disease, but with the able care of the Harris family, we were able to harvest some. The jalapeño and banana peppers took in the sun and produced the heat.

The okra also did well and we learned how to make spicy fried okra poppers. Double yum!

We're still waiting with fingers crossed for the sweet potato harvest (late September, early October, just before first frost). Hoping the deer, rabbits, moles and all other varmints stay the heck away from our tasty tubers.

And did I mention flowers? Flowers graced our sign (thanks to Su Snyder). But the ones that attracted most attention were those in the gardens closest to the road (Su's and Ashley's) as well as Catherine's sunflowers in a spritely line at the back of the garden.

Last but certainly not least, tomatoes! Having decided not to risk the variables of weather to grow tomatoes as a community crop, each of our gardeners individually couldn't resist the urge. We wound up with tomatoes here, there, and everywhere. A carload and a half - what a year for 'maters!!!

Once again the High Vista Community Garden fed 22 families and donated about 200 pounds of produce to local food banks. Except for the sweet potato harvest, we're pretty much down to dreaming of next year - except for a gleaning and cleaning.

2015 - A bountiful year leaves us filled with gratitude.