My Little Victory Garden

Except for some of my herbs, I haven't yet harvested anything from my little vegetable/herb garden on my upstairs porch. But, as you can see, things are looking promising. I have lots and lots of cherry tomatoes coming along, and my green peppers are developing nicely, too. I am really beginning to be excited about this project. There has been some talk in the news about how the interest in gardens surged this spring amid anxieties relating to the outbreak of the Corona virus. But I had been planning this garden project ever since my trip to Canada last summer. My friend's landlords had two of these large planters set up along their driveway loaded vegetable plants. After seeing them I thought that such a planter would be a perfect replacement for the large grill that I almost never used anymore. As it has turned out, the location is perfect for many reasons. It gets both morning and late afternoon sun, but is sheltered from it in the hottest parts of the day. Its proximity to the kitchen makes it easy to maintain, and I can easily see and enjoy it from my living room and dining room windows. It is also high enough off the ground to prevent wild animals from harvesting before I get a chance. I am keeping my fingers crossed that THIS time, after many disappointing attempts at vegetable gardening, I will be successful. Apparently I may be one of many who are trying their hand at growing some of their own food this summer. The Burpee seed company announced in March that they had sold more seeds that month than any time in their 144 year history. In late May it was noted that the hashtag #victorygarden had been added to more than 66,000 Instagram posts. I am too young to remember the Victory Gardens of the World War II era, but I remember the wonderful vegetable garden that my father's sister and her husband had. Produce from it were usually at their height when we visited each summer and I can still salivate remembering the taste of the wonderful homegrown tomatoes, beans, corn, and melons that came from it. Victory Gardens were a big part of the war effort with an estimated 20 million gardens that produced more than 40% of the country's vegetables and fruits. These days such gardens are as much a boost to the morale as they are ways of combating the possible demands to the food supply, though. I know that is certainly the case for me. If I can actually harvest what I am watching develop in my little garden, I will just be thrilled!