John the Gardener

This summer John has been able to have a garden of his very own. My parents, who are avid gardeners, have a large property with a variety of gardens and plotted out a small section for John to grow whatever vegetables he chose. Mom put together a catalog for him to choose which veggies he would grow, they helped him plant the seeds, and thanks to some wonderful weather, he's had great success with his first garden. He's harvested potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach (which he grew because he knew Mommy and Daddy like it), red peppers, and swiss chard. When the veggies come home, he's not always wild about eating what he's grown, but he's been pretty good about at least trying it and he's been thrilled about sharing it with everyone.

We're also doing a share of a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm - Potomac Vegetable Farm. We're splitting it with a neighbor, thank goodness! Since the weather has been so favorable for John's garden, it's also been good for the CSA, so we've been flooded with delicious, local produce. How much fun! I've been having a great time cooking with all the yummy veggies and finding new summer recipes to try. The kids even seem to be enjoying it.

It's been a tasty summer for us and I'm so proud of our little family gardener!