Utilizing small corners for great veggies!

Whenever I plant my gardens in the early spring, I always keep an eye out for out of the way spots to throw in a vegetable or two or three. Doing this seems to often times throw off those insects that otherwise might decimate the more formal planting locations where larger numbers of similar plants may attract them.

I've done this type of planting for years and have had great success. The four plants pictured above, (2 long red stir fry cayenne and 2 banana peppers) have been productive all season long. This very small area has supplied me with all the peppers I've needed to make daily and chili dishes!

My garden did just fine in 2013!

This spring and summer, for the first time in my gardening experience brought onto me a realization, actually a couple of things dawned on me. First, I was getting older and therefore presumably wiser. I'm not at all sure that one is working out for me. Secondly, I realized that in years past, I always seems to have way more vegetables than I could eat or even pass around. I was, after all, eating for only one.

So, I resolved to throw out a few seeds, plant a couple of store bought transplants and call it a day. Sure, I did think to weed and water, but all in all, nothing was much of a chore. And, my garden looked it too. Not a thing of beauty with a lone cucumber plant here and a scraggly tomato plant or two there. Don't even ask me about the peppers! (I never gave them any special care and they never produced very big fruit, so we came out about even). Still, there was a steady flow of something to put in a stew pot or salad starting on about mid July. And, lo and behold, I was using just about every bit of produce or herb that my beds produced! At the end of the day, I thought that to be a little bit of progress...