Ignorance Is Bliss

Beginner's luck? Ignorance maybe? Whatever it was it produced this.

And, this....

And, this....

And, this....

Well, it could have produced more of this....

But some stealthy little ninja mammal (still unknown) knew EXACTLY when they were PERFECTLY ripe and dined on them before we could pick them! (Which drove Ellie's Dad crazy -- like in Caddyshack crazy.)

Being that it was my first vegetable garden I didn't know the "rules". Having no rules meant I could plant veggies wherever and however I wanted to.

So, that being the case I planted them along the fence in our backyard (sorry for the poor quality pics--it was an old camera).

And, in a small patch of very rocky and sandy soil near the deck.

And in a partially shaded patch under a rhododendron tree (sun-loving tomatoes planted there no less).

With no rules I didn't have to worry about making the bed (well I never worry about that anyway). So instead of a raised bed I just mixed in some compost and horse manure with our existing soil and stuck the seedlings in the ground. With this approach the only casualty of the summer was the yellow squash and zucchini due to vine borers (HATE THEM). I was probably the only person with a vegetable garden who was asking people to give her squash.

So, a year later, and with a lot of lessons learned, I now know the "rules." The "rulebook" says I should have some sort of designated beds this year (raised, wide, or otherwise) so I can do some sort of proper crop rotation. This means more work and more planning (or is that more procrastination). I hate rules! But, if I don't get moving on these beds my seedlings will take over the basement. Ignorance is definitely bliss...