Gardening neighbors

Last year was a thrill to bring in veggie for my co-workers and I really do miss that piece of gardening this year. Although I love to snip fresh basil from the herbs I've planted in a pot on the porch, I have had to rely solely on the neighborhood super center for groceries, or my mom's weekly visits to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market every Saturday. She brought me some tomatoes and sweet corn today.

My neighbor, Renee, has only been in her home for a year now, and this is her second year of veggie gardening.Under the shade of a towering cotton wood tree, her little 9x9 garden gets mostly sun during the daytime. And although she is not keen on eating tomatoes, she grows romas and some beefsteak tomatoes to make into sauces. She also has been very kind to hand out cucumbers as they spring forth from her garden. 

The one dose of color that has come early is some hot red chili peppers. She's not sure how hot they'll be, or if they'll even eat it...but it's much more fun to watch these plants grow than it is to eat.