Gardening

120 Garlic Plants

I enjoy gardening, but not as much as my friend the “Garden Consultant” (Many of my readers will know who I mean). Since I retired however it gets more difficult to maintain a garden. I planted a nice patch of Garlic one year and was traveling when it should have been picked. My nice patch of cilantro went to seed before I could take advantage of it, and although my front flower garden is beautiful in June, I completely missed enjoying it one year while we were away. The advantage to being retired is being able to travel during the “off season” when rates for rentals and flights are reasonable, but then it means I am often gone in the spring when things should be planted or in the fall when they have to be harvested. So being retired allows me time to garden, but not at the correct times.

On this trip, we are meeting our daughter's prospective “parents-in-law” for the first time, and arriving at their house in Peterborough, we were presented with a serious garden and a dedicated gardener. Nolan has the most amazing garden. I think he grows a few of everything. I first recognized a large raised bed of garlic. He tells me he has 120 garlic plants. On a tour of his garden we found horseradish, pears, dwarf apple trees, 28 large tomato plants, a patch of potatoes,

Tomatoes

and he reports he is attempting sweet potatoes for the first time this year. In the centre of the yard is a raised herb garden with every herb you might need. Against the back fence were onions happily growing beside a grape vine. Lettuce, Swiss chard, beans, peas, spinach cherries, etc, etc, etc . . . .and mixed in were a pleasant selection of beautiful flowers.

I wonder how my little patch of spinach, cilantro, carrots and peppers is doing back home.