Special Guest Post – Starring the Hubby!

Beauty In A Basket

The Hubby is always behind the scenes (or lens!), taking all those fabulous photos and making sure that the food and fun is captured in a special way. So, today Hubby is the writer and editor of all things garden.

Please enjoy his words and shots from our patio garden.

“Whether you have acres of land, or just a few hanging baskets, it has always amazed me that something as little as a ¼ inch seed, or even smaller, mixed with only dirt, water and air will produce amazing plant creations.  From these creations, we are able to benefit from the objects that are produced, in various forms and shapes, and utilize them for our nutritional well-being.

What seems to be just as amazing is how insects assist in this fantastic transformation.

Busy Bees on Echinacea

Take the bee for instance…it flies around all day seeking pollen to take back to its’ hive to make honey (another subject altogether).  In the course of its travels, it spreads pollen to other plants and assists in what is known as pollination. With this process and assistance from the wind, plants are able to complete their “growing” cycle and create blooms that eventually become flowers or food.

Loaded with Pollen – Ready for Delivery

Blooms can be for consumption in both the visual context (flowers adding beauty and contrast to a table or room) and in the form of eating for sustenance or for healing purposes (Echinacea for strengthening the immune system).

Not Quite “Bee Worthy”…..

The beauty and rewards of the fantastic transformation mentioned above that can be derived from an area as small as 16 square feet are amazing. This year, we planted green beans, tomatoes (three types), our first ever attempt at cucumbers, and Italian borlotti beans. Additional plantings of two types of bell peppers and a new basil discovery called Spicy Globe Basil rounded out the spring planting. In two pots were planted regular basil and in an additional pot, we planted a traditional patio tomato.

The Beginning of a Salad

Since we only had a 4’ x 4’ space, we were determined to grow / “point” the new borlotti beans and cucumbers vertically instead of their traditional horizontal growth path. Various “tools” (bamboo stakes, tall green “asparagus looking” poles, and a former iron “gate”) were summoned to the cause. The Mrs. was constantly “training” these plants (which was an almost daily necessity) to grow up – instead of out. Having only a slight sense of expectation with these new forms of plants, we waited excitedly to see what happened.

Fast Growing Cucumber

When both vines’ height exceeded our trepid expectations, more poles were enlisted for support. The cucumber plant actually “hopped” over the borlotti bean plant and began to meander through the wooden fence to the “outside world”. What an experience to come home each week, from weekly business or vacation travel, to see what had “happened” while we were away. Using sprinklers on timers or a drip irrigation system on a timer allowed us to be gone extended periods of time prior to harvest.

Harvest From the Garden

Remember it’s not how much “space” you have, it’s how you use the space available to grow food – right outside your door!”

Thanks, Hubby, for sharing your thoughts and pics with us today!

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