our garden tour

There is nothing better than a fresh flower, vegetable, fruit, or herb straight from the garden. We have been fortunate to be the recipients of many home-canned goods and freshly picked flowers thanks to our family and friends. Shortly after we were married, we talked about our future garden dreams-- with a spreadsheet design and everything! Last year was our first full summer as a married couple but since we moved to Illinois in June, we were a bit behind in the planting process. We attempted an herb garden in a raised box but between our frequent trips home and my forgetfulness in regards to watering, those efforts were not successful. Thank goodness for Farmers Markets!

A few months ago, we started discussing a garden for this year. We wanted to give it another shot and really try this time. Not only did we want to give herbs another go around, we added vegetables and flowers to the mix. After much debate and scaling down our dreams to realistic plans, we finally came to the conclusion of which plants we would attempt to grow. We picked up some ranunculus, zinnias, and dahlias packets at the store. Dustin surprised me one day when I got home from work with a little raised bed using leftover wood from the fence in our backyard. It is the perfect size for our first garden! We went back to the store soon after that to pick out our produce and herbs.

Here's what we went with based on our tastes and preferences:

Big Boy Tomatoes

Cherry Tomatoes

Swiss Chard

Leeks

Red, Yellow, Green, and Purple Bell Peppers

Jalepeno Peppers

Cucumbers

Zuchinni

Squash

Rosemary

Basil

Cilantro

Lavender

Day One: 3 weeks ago

We first thought we would grow squash and zucchini from seed but later went back for plants. 

A few days ago

One of the squash seeds actually grew despite our doubts! 

We planted the herbs in one of the raised boxes. The veggies went in the raised bed Dustin made. He also fixed up a little fence to protect the garden from our pups and the deer we often have in our yard. All of our plants have been prayed over, encouraged, and begged to grow! And so far they have! Oh how I love walking out to the garden to see the growth and progress that occurs. Our cherry tomatoes have a couple baby green ones growing! Mini Fried Green Tomatoes, anyone!? I am so excited to taste, see, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. My mouth waters just imagining the fresh tomato sandwiches, smothered squash, and colorful sautéed swiss chard! The week we have received quite a bit of rain. I am hoping they all survive! 

Did you put out a garden this year? 

What blooms and veggies are you most excited to see grow?