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.

Sunshine+Frequent Rains+TLC=A Bountiful Harvest

From our humble beginnings, our  gardens have grown and grown into quite an impressive farm. In addition to picking produce for our own use, thanks to Mary Alice, Irma, Sharon and others several donations have been delivered to local food banks, totaling well over 150 pounds. Here is today's harvest - another food bank run is on the horizon, so if you're a gardener and want cucumbers, radishes, zucchini or crook neck squash - you don't have to go down to pick, just come up to the Willen's Front Porch Market.

ready for the food bank

July 21 - Sharon picked 'em - for you

the radishes jumped out - come up you want some

I'm cooking these beans right now

Our tomatoes, but I picked the cukes for you!

Zucchini (not too large) for whoever wants them