I garden all year around. Or so it seems.

Let me explain.

Gardening and tending is what I call updates on my books after I’ve already released them. You know, catch typos that have been found, update cover, change blurbs, and other typical upkeep that gets to be done on books in this new world of publishing. I have a list, a very long list, and it doesn’t seem to get any shorter.

But I do have a true garden as well.

The last couple of years I’ve had a garden in a small section of my back yard. I’ve tried to do this off and on over the years and moved it around a couple of times, but last year when I realized I wasn’t going anywhere due to COVID (that which must not be named), I designated an official space in my yard. I even bought a rototiller, not that it got used until this year though.

Last year I had success with my broccoli and squashes. I did fairly well with my Black Prince tomatoes (my dad told me about them several years ago and I’ve always bought them because I love the name. Necroatheling? Yeah, it means Black Prince.) I have some going this year too. Here’s a picture of some just before they went into my spaghetti last weekend:

Yes, so my tomatoes are doing well this year. My broccoli and squashes — well, they’ve been a terrible disappointment so far. I have had to do some transplanting and replanting. I have hope, but it won’t be a plentiful crop this year. Now like last year. My cucumbers, however, are flourishing. Also had some of these last year and these were the runts then. This year, they are growing like zucchini! And guess what? I can’t eat cucumber — they make my stomach hurt. I can have a slice of pickle if I’m feeling lucky. My youngest son only likes pickles and he helps me out pickling the ones that my oldest won’t take. Gee, he seems to think two cucumbers a week are too many. Little does he know that I have 7 on the vine right now which need cut and at least 3 more rapidly growing to size.

More on my real garden later. I need to get some more pictures. (grin)