Being a backyard gardener is generally not rewarding – financially speaking. Each spring I spend hundreds of dollars on seeds, plants, fertilizer, fencing, insecticides, and the like to get about $10 worth of tomatoes. But this year, I did okay. I planted 4 rows of peas and they produced nicely, even though you can buy frozen peas for a pittance, but these were extra sweet and good. I also got a nice crop of spring onions – probably a break even endeavor. My yellow squash and peppers totally bombed, but my tomatoes and spaghetti squash saved the day.
This was the first time I have ever planted spaghetti squash – a fall melon, but I picked 6 fat squash from two hills. One spaghetti squash will set you back about five bucks at the grocery store, so I got the equivalent of about thirty bucks in squash, and they were delicious. I’ll try it again next spring if I can find the seeds.
My tomatoes also outdid themselves. I probably picked a a bushel of tomatoes from four hills, and they are still producing. So, I did get a nice return on my $10 investment for 4 tomato plants.
Still, I don’t plant a little garden because of a financial reward. I just enjoy seeing things grow, and to pluck a nice tomato from the vine and then scarf down a juicy BLT is reward in itself.
