Secrets and Gardens

I have a secret, and it’s too delicious not to share. However, it seems that I may have promised not to share it—not yet anyway. So as difficult as it is for me to keep it to myself—I shall attempt to do just that.

Gosh, I really don’t know what else to talk about...Secrets can be marvelous, keeping them can be a full-time job. I suppose I could give you a garden update, tell you how my Straw Bale Garden is growing.

My SBG is growing like a weed. And it is growing weeds—despite all the assurances to the contrary, it had sprouted so many green shoots it looked like a shaggy green Cousin It. Every time I walk by it I grab a hand full and yank.

It is also growing veggies. My potatoes plants are leafy green, my tomatoes have blossoms, my radish crop has come to fruition. It was so exciting to pluck that first radish! To marvel at its lovely color, to rub it clean on my pant leg and then crunch it right up. First fruits always taste best when eaten right there in the garden. Who needs Farm to Table when you can just skip the table part?

After the third harvest of radishes I noticed that my “sweet radish” radishes seemed to be getting progressively spicy. I also remembered that I’m not a big fan of radishes to begin with.

My lettuce crop seemed to go from sprout, to baby tender—I know, because I picked a leaf and ate it—to looks like we have salad for days, to holy cow somebody grab the machete.

The peas are being temperamental, but the beans are taking off, the carrots should probably be referred to as THE Carrot---I don’t know what happened there. The Cinderella pumpkin is already setting fruit and appears set on world domination. I’ve been afraid to look at the zucchini plant—what if I’m the only person in the history of zucchini who can’t grow them? After all the unkind things I’ve said about zuke prolific-ness, I’d hate to have to eat my words.

Come to think of it—my words might taste better than veggies. I look at my vegetable garden and I’m starting to get overwhelmed at the thought of eating all that. Do I even like green beans? Oh sure, with enough bacon in them—but how healthy is that?

Luckily for me, the pheasant seems to like radishes more that I do so I guess it won’t hurt me to share with him.