Middle: The garlic has gone apeshit. All five cloves fought through two inches of dirt and are all about five inches tall, a measly eight days after I planted them. I hope they produce some of these delicious scapes everyone keeps talking about.
Bottom: For documentation purposes only, a "before" shot of the third plot, henceforth known as the "overflow plot."
Yes - a third plot. An overrun raised bed that runs along the (east) side of our house. I keep saying - out loud, so it stays true - that we won't look after this one as much. That we'll just turn over the (pretty poor) soil, sprinkle some flower seeds (nasturtium, morning glory, and some snowy ground cover that I forget the name of), and let it run wild. That much has already been done. And maybe, maybe if there are seedlings that have no where else to be transplanted, they can be tucked in somewhere and watered semi-regularly. And yet. Micah has already put in a handful of sunflower seedlings. I've already scoped out the area in the foreground (where the brick edge dips down) to clear out and dedicate to tomatoes that are already outgrowing their pots.
I know. First-time gardeners! We've created a monster. Or rather - three monsters.
But I'm enjoying it so much. I love coming home for lunch and weeding, then returning to my desk with dirt under my fingernails. Watering everything when I get home for the day. Noting changes. Re-adjusting plans. Hanging out in the yard with a beer on weekend days, comparing notes with Micah. The other day, he joked that at times, he forgets we're getting produce out of this at some point. I think that's when you know you're having fun. The journey becomes the destination. Or something Zen like that.