Participation Garden Update

Finally got most of the Dorman family "Participation Garden" planted over the holiday weekend. The Obamas have a "Victory Garden"  outside the White House, but we're only hoping for a few nice parting gifts. A few tomatoes, some peas and maybe some chili peppers.  Thanks for playing.

There have been some snags.

Earlier this month, while turning the sod in hardy pioneer fashion, I stuck my garden fork into a nest of baby bunnies. Miraculously, I did not impale a single one. This was lucky, as several young children, alerted by my wife's exclamations, ran over immediately to take a look. Bunny kabobs might have put a damper on the day.

Rabbits also have chewed enough holes in the "rabbit-proof" fence that it's become a bunny superhighway. Thinking about painting lane lines.

Otherwise, things have been pretty straightforward. Our peas are on schedule. Our spinach is lagging. We've already harvested a row of lettuce, so I'm now mulling a replacement crop.

Thanks to the generosity of my neighbor, I have nine different heirloom tomato varieties. He started them from seed and had more plants than space. Good deal for us.

Tess and Ella were a big help with watering and planting marigolds. There was the ugly incident when Tess insisted on wearing new white shorts while planting. Her mother had other wardrobe ideas. A loud and spirited debate ensued. I think part of being a good neighbor means keeping your neighbors entertained. And I've read that tears are an excellent fertilizer.

There's more planting, mulching etc. to be done. But the ground rules for our annual tussle with nature's little practical jokes are largely in place. Sit back, crack a beer and wait for the bugs, wilt, blight etc.

Now, if only the stinkin' weather would warm up.