Gardening Success! (so far...)

Ah, the garden. I have always dreamed of some day being successful in gardening, or at least trying my hand at it. I've always felt that as a nutritionist, it is ridiculous that I have such little knowledge about and experience with growing food. My very first attempts only began last year. Without initial success I gave up for a while but decided to try again a few months ago. Thanks to my mom stocking me up with some (non-expired!) seeds and some attempts to keep the slugs away, I am happy to report that my garden is thriving. I imagine this is strange for you all in the West as you are heading into Fall and Winter and I'm just getting tomatoes growing. Oh well, that's the benefit of getting to sweat year round. I have many more seeds I plan to plant as soon as the tomato harvest takes place and I have some more space. Next skill to learn: canning.

On a side note, I started knitting again and I've been really into baking these days, on top of the usual cooking I do for dinner almost every night. I had a realization the other day. I'm really domestic! I really, really enjoy being domestic. I love working with my hands and having something to show for it immediately or soon after. I've always been one for instant gratification. Lately there have been opportunities to cook/bake for friends and neighbors who are going through various tough times in life (cancer, miscarriage...) and I realize that cooking and baking is one of my love languages. I feel I can really love people when I cook or bake for them. I take joy in it. Andrey is a blessed man and he knows it. Here are some shots showing the gardening progress...

Our circular bed and the newly cleared bed now full of tomato plants

Close up of the circular bed with many transplanted tomato plants

The new bed is also full of tomato plants

The potted plants in the side-yard. Most of what you see are tomatoes (can you believe all of our tomato plants got started in that one large white pot?), plus there is a chili plant, some thriving basil, some not-so-thriving cilantro, and some gulay (or "guy" for short), a native green veggie that our helper planted

Chili plant. If you look close you'll find one, white chili ("sili" in Visayan). Next to it are a couple of sprouts I found in the compost. I think they might be watermelon.

More tomato plants - this pot's still a bit crowded

The basil (so fragrant!) and cilantro (go baby go! I want to make salsa.)

Where the tomatoes got their start. I've cleared out and transplanted all but a few so they'd have room to grow big. We just added the stakes today to keep them upright.

Bonus picture of Gerald. Enjoy those balls little buddy because you're getting castrated soon. If he only knew what was coming. When I said I believe in family planning, I meant I believe in family planning. There are too many orphaned kitties around here! I don't want to perpetuate the cycle.