As a Midwest gal growing up, my family always had a garden. Summers were spent outside in the dirt with my parents. There was always something to harvest, something to can, something to eat. I grew up loving homemade ketchup in the summer, cherry pies in the fall, and strawberry preserves all winter. Gardening in Texas and the gardening I grew up with are two very different beasts, and I'll admit I'm (we're) not doing too well this year. We got a late start (what with all the wedding planning and all) and then my husband forgot to add our organic fertilizer. So our garden was a bit of a disappointment this season. I'm already making plans in my head for our fall garden, but being in an extreme drought right now, we might wait until next year to plant anything more. But what has turned out well this summer, is my herbs. I've really taken to doing pots of herbs. They're mobile--so if my basil is getting too much sun on one part of the porch, I just move it--and they take less watering than our in-ground garden. I've been using the water after washing my dishes to water them, and it helps remind me to do it! I really enjoy having fresh herbs nearby to add while I'm cooking, and it smells so yummy every time I walk out the door.

one of my basil plant

Italian oregano

spearmint

and mr caterpillar enjoying my parsley