Barbecue For Real

Fresh Veggies!

Yep, it's that time of the year again. In my case, of course, it's the first time ever. I was never much of a gardener before this Spring/Summer, but I was always looking for the freshest ingredients. This year, I sort of lucked into a garden plot---one that my next-door neighbor was no longer using.

So, my friend Scott and I proceeded to till, weed, and nourish the existing plot. We even extended it by about 16 square feet, to accommodate our melon plants. Those things take up SPACE.

In the picture at left, you can see most of the garden, anyway (the picture was taken just a couple of days ago). That big, flat stone is a giant slab of limestone (quite plentiful around here), which we found under an old spruce tree. We've converted it into a headstone, and we're telling people that Jimmy Hoffa is buried underneath. I planted some Solcito zinnias in front of the stone, out of respect for Mr. Hoffa.

To the right of the headstone, you can see six Brussels sprout plants, which are quite easily the most massive plants in the garden. To the right of the sprouts: that's my shadow. Off to the left, you can see some of the melon plants; in this view, those are cantaloupes. There are also some honeydews, as you move further to the left.

And yes, that IS a swimming-pool ladder in the center of the garden. To be honest, we ran out of ground spikes, and the ladder provides excellent support for the tomatoes and cucumbers. Aside from melons, cukes, sprouts and tomatoes, we've also got several types of chili peppers, eggplant, peas, and an assortment of herbs. In fact, I just threw in some dill weed tops that had gone to seed; I'm hoping for a late Fall harvest.

At right, you can see one of our growing cantaloupes. Yes, it's in a Styrofoam bowl. We're told that the bowl (with holes punched in the bottom, for drainage) will allow the fruit to mature without bruising or rotting. So far, so good!