First summer harvest

 So today it is official.  The little garden plot that Austin and I prepared this spring actually seems to be flourishing.  It was kind of a gamble because our neighborhood is very wooded without much direct sunlight AND we are in a river basin, so drainage and soil quality is a problem.  The garden that I had at Martin Creek (our first home...a rental on about an acre) was always amazing and yielded large harvests...enough for us, for friends and family and for freezing.  So, I was a little nervous about how this project would turn out.  Especially since on top of the difficulties I've already addressed, deer are everywhere in our neighborhood.  And they love almost anything green!

So, I did my research.  Austin and I tore up the sod along the north side of our driveway, put in some wooden planks and then created our own soil made out of peat moss, black dirt, and sand.  Then I planted deer-resistant plants and veggies (wormwood, bee balm, asclepsia, lavender, onions, squash, chives, parsley, and lemon balm) around the perimeter and then planted my tastier veggies in the center (tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, green beans, and peppers).

Although the harvest is just beginning, I'm excited that so far things are turning out.  The garden even withstood a few pretty severe spring and summer storms (one with dime-sized hail and the other with wind gusts of up to 60 mph).  Hopefully things will continue to go well...

Here are a few pictures of the garden.  (Please excuse the fact that it is messy and looks like it is going to takeover...I wasn't sure that all of the plantings would make it, so I over-planted a bit...)

The tomatoes are in the middle and are trying to take over the garden.

...but the squash are doing a fairly good job at trying to take over too!

And the first summer harvest- tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, pepper and parsley
(I already harvested the spinach and lettuce this spring)

Now I just need to decide what to make for dinner with these...