In the family garden my brothers and I have undertaken this year, things have begun to grow. What was planted a few months ago as tiny seeds or as seedlings, are now tall, sturdy, vibrantly green plants that are rewarding us with their fruits! Or vegetables, as the case may be. The picture above shows some baby jalapenos!

I realize that looks like a snarly mess of just greenery, but that's actually Boothby's Yellow Cucumbers on the shorter trellises and pole beans on the larger trellises.

I think the picture above may be our Provider Bush Beans...

Okra!!

A variety of yummy lettuces!

Kentucky Pole Beans

Green Bell Peppers growing above...

A couple different kinds of tomatoes

Ripening up and getting larger by the day! We did have a blight problem as you can see on some of the leaves, but we think we fixed it with a fungicide spray. So far, that's been our biggest "intervention."

A growing yellow crookneck squash

A zucchini pluggin' right along

A very pretty okra flower which appears to have a a cucumber beetle in it. Oops.

And while I did the harvesting in Michael and Beth's backyard, Brooklyn and August played in their hammock! Dorien followed me around "helping" until he just tuckered out and then he wailed until I had pity on him and took him home. All in all, it's supremely satisfying to plant something and watch it grow. And even more satisfying to take what you've grown and incorporate it into your meal - knowing exactly what you ate, how it was grown and that there are no unpleasant hidden facets to that object. It is pure, healthy goodness. And, as my friend, Kim, pointed out upon tasting a vegetable soup made with some of our produce - it tastes like summer. Can't beat that.