Fruits of Our Labor

Ok, to be honest it’s mainly MY labor, but the kids do help water the garden. And Mike did build the garden beds, but to be frank I think his involvement and the claim for that is long gone. You can only coast so long on fumes, you know.

Not that I am not infinitely grateful, but at this point he mainly just eats what comes out of the garden. And we are all ok with that.

As you can see above, the raspberries have been kind enough to produce a handful or so each day for the kids,and that is mainly one bush. I cannot remember for the life of me what type survived, but it is sending shoots out and I will transplanting those to the back and sides of the house. It is an abundant and amazing producer.

My daughter likes to talk to the pumpkins.

We love her anyway.

I have eggplants.

Where can you really go with that sentence? The response I usually get is:

“Why?”

Because they are purple, that’s why. I can grow a purple vegetable.

And they were on clearance at Superstore for $11 and I have always wanted to try them.

Any idiot can see that there will be eggplant recipes coming up on the site, what else am I going to do with them?

The Saskatoons were lovely, not abundant yet but appreciated for sure.

My daughter in the dill, picking the strawberries that grow underneath.

I almost hate to post this picture, because then something will happen to them.

I have 6 apples growing on my apple tree in the front yard, Ruby Red fall apples, to be precise.

I worry about these apples daily.

My six other children.

Will they make it? Will something eat them? Will a bully pick them off the tree and smash them to the ground?

It’s hard, this whole raising children growing apples thing.

My beets, which have made an excellent salad. Boil the actual beets, cool and chop, then make the salad out of the greens. Then you can put the chopped cold beets on top and some red wine vinegar, fresh orange juice and zest, maybe some feta, and you have a salad. We ate it without feta and what a zesty tangy treat it was.

I have made a pact with myself to use as many things from the garden daily this year and so far, so good. The zucchinis are always used, the tomatoes are welcomed heartily, the potatoes are almost gone and the beans are just starting.

I am amazed daily at what you can grow in the city, vegetable wise,  when you put your mind to it. We are eating so much fresh, organic produce daily, right out of our own small city yard.