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Lazy Gardener - 2016 Edition

Exhibit A: The Tomato Plants
I am a very lazy gardener. I've said it before and I'll say it again. But here's the thing ... you don't have to be in your garden every day pulling out weeds and looking for slugs for it to work. It's so friggin' easy to grow food in your backyard, it's not even a joke.

A friend came over the other day as I was pulling peppers to eat with our dinner and she made a big deal about it, "where do you find the time?!"

What time?

Sure, if you're a farmer and your livelihood depends on how much you grow, you're going to work your butt off to make sure each plant yields the most fruit/veg. This is not my full-time job. And barely a hobby.

Here's my time commitment: I spend a Spring afternoon getting the beds ready. Another morning tossing whatever I find/have/want into those beds. Not even a full day. Then, when I notice it hasn't rained in a while, I walk outside and turn on the hose for 15 minutes.

If I'm looking for something relaxing to do (or need an excuse to avoid my kids), I'll pull on some gloves and walk around the beds yanking out the big weeds, especially around young plants. But, it's not something I pressure myself to do. If I'm traveling for weeks, it doesn't get done. Big deal.

So what do I get for being a lazy gardener? FOOD. Seriously, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are my standards. Watermelons are new this year. I have herbs that I'll cook with. And the basil I keep an eye on because I love fresh pesto.

Could I get more if I weeded and generally cared for the plants. YEAH! Might the beds look like Martha Stewart's perfect rows of plants? Sure. But do I have the time? Nope.

So the message is this: You don't have to have a green thumb and a degree in agriculture to grow stuff in your backyard. A piece of land with serviceable dirt and access to your hose. That's about it.

The Herb Garden

The Veggie Bed
If you look closely at the pictures, you will see all sorts of weeds. And I didn't even attempt rows this year. It's a mess but for now, that will do.

Related: A look at my garden from summer 2013. And 2014's yield. 
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