Full of Beans

Chi-Chi and Muffy are full of beans these days. In fact, we all are, literally! We’ve been eating garden beans morning, noon and night just to keep up with the harvesting that’s been going on in our backyard garden.

When my husband and I built our house over four years ago, one of our first “projects” that spring was a gigantic vegetable garden. We spent endless hours working our soil and removing large fieldstones by hand. Unfortunately, our efforts fell short when it came time to plan and care for our garden properly. One bowl of very dry, pasty peas was all that resulted in the end.

This spring I decided it would be a good learning experience for the entire family to plan and plant a small-scale vegetable garden. Despite my tendency to go whole hog, I kept myself on tight reins, ensuring I did not bite off more than I could chew. I planted a small and reasonable garden bed and stuck to a few easy crops – carrots, bush beans, tomatoes and one pumpkin plant for fun! Sadly, the bunnies munched all the carrots before my husband got around to installing our bunny defense system. Our beans, however, have been a huge success. Chi-Chi and Muffy are simply fascinated with the magic that unfolded in their own backyard. Although slightly scarred by my past farming failures, I’m feeling quite proud that I managed to produce an edible plant. There is nothing more rewarding than sitting down as a family, feasting on the rewards of our collective efforts.
Of course, the wheels are churning in my head and I’ve got big plans for next year! The garden will be extended and I’m enlisting my inexperienced carpenter husband to build a chicken coop for me. Things could get “egg-citing” around Seaside Farms!