IT'S THE TASTE OF THE FIRST PLUCK

There’s so much to see in the garden when it comes to observing the natural habitat of little critters.  This past week I encountered the garden snake again, a rabbit nestling in the chamomile, a ground squirrel darting under the spirea, and a turtle dove resting on a nearby tree branch.  And then there’s the single wasp that hangs out around the potager.  My friend Cori discovered the wasp nest right under the overhang of our garage.  For the most part, I leave all the animals alone, including the wasp because it is a great carnivore, gobbling up those icky bugs that do nasty things to one’s plants.  I have a healthy respect for wasps, though, and am not as brave around them as the bees.  I try to stay out of this one’s way when she’s hanging out on the patio.  I know that eliminating one genre of insects or animal can tip the balance, although a natural predator for the bunnies and ground squirrels would be a bit welcome at this point.  My hollyhocks are really struggling – seems the bunnies like those new tender leaves.  Where are the foxes and eagles?  They would have a gourmet dinner just hunting in my back yard.

Picture:  It seems bunnies not only like holly hock leaves, they also like eating chamomile.  Fortunately, they don't seem to be as interested in the chamomile flowers, which are done for the season and already harvested by me.

Picture:  As Dad and I were sitting on the patio, this turtle dove flew right over us and landed in a tree next to the garden.  Always good to have a camera on hand.

At any rate, the first harvest, paltry as it may be, is in.  This year I added container gardening as the small potager that abuts next to the patio is barely large enough to host the herbs and the handful of peas I tossed into the freshly turned soil late spring.  So here I am with a diverse family of tomato plants, chili peppers, cucumbers, and green beans adjusting to their clay pot homes.  In the past week I’ve noticed these baby vegetables leaving their infancy and headed toward juvenile growth.  And some are bearing their fruit already.

There’s nothing like plucking a ripe tomato off the vine, washing it with water from the hose and then biting into it.  I literally taste sunshine in that bite and it is in that moment I’m reminded tomatoes are really a fruit and not a vegetable.  That’s how sweet they are off the vine.  I won’t find that taste at my local King Soopers, or even Whole Foods.  From the backyard garden to the mouth, there’s no time for the tomato to loose the warmth of the sun that still runs from the vine into its very heart.  It’s the taste of the pluck - and there's nothing like it. 

Dad came to dinner Sunday afternoon, and together we collected the first small harvest from my backyard garden.  A single ripe tomato was sliced into three bites.  Still sun-warm, Mike, Dad and I savored our small slice of heaven.  Into the salad went the one yellow pepper and a handful of tender, freshly snipped cilantro, dill and parsley.  The chicken was baked in a five-herb olive oil topped with the second harvest of chives which were cut straight from the potager. 

Picture:  Here's Dad also inspecting the bird house I made.  He gave me a thumbs up!

Happy that we’ve enjoyed the first labor of fruits and vegetables . . . and that the animals for the most part are keeping the garden healthy (well, with a little human help such as the fence around the potager that keeps the bunnies at bay).  Looking forward to the full bounty.  Peas should be ready to harvest in another week or so.  Tomato vines should be bursting with fruit by early August.  And the first bite of cucumbers and green beans are anticipated next month.   Hope all of you in dry mountain climates with a short growing season are enjoying that first pluck this week too. For the rest of you who live in more fertile areas and whose garden bounty is in full force, well, we’re just jealous.  Happy gardening week to all.