Except for some peas and the above kale, our garden is done for the year. This was our first time planting a vegetable garden together, and we learned so much. Most importantly, I think, that you cannot underestimate the importance of prepping your soil. Our backyard is solid clay about a foot down, and it was physically painful to see our plant babies hit that wall and stop growing. If we owned this property, I think we would invest in raised beds, or a tiller or something, but alas.
Crops that did really well: basil, rosemary, mint, grape tomatoes, jalapenos, bush beans, peas.
Crops that did "meh" or poorly, mostly due to the soil: beets, turnips, garlic, green onions, bell peppers, cucumbers.
Crops that succumbed to motherfucking pests: eggplant, larger tomatoes, broccoli, arugula, summer squash (if you consider end rot to be a pest, which I do).
(You can read all of my garden posts here. It really was a rollercoaster of a ride, you guys. Good times.)
Of course, even after writing this, I can't wait to start over next spring. I've already ordered a few seed catalogs to peruse on particularly cold winter nights - I'd like to experiment with weird heirloom versions of crops that did well this year, and try a few new things as well.
(I just realized our lease is up in April - so there's a solid chance that we won't even be dealing with the same soil situation, should we decide to move. What a strange time to have to move for gardeners though - things need to be in the ground by then for sure. Huh. Food for thought, quite literally.)