Here we GROW again

And no I'm not talking about me. I am huge and still getting bigger by the minute but this is about something else. The Taylor Garden.

The planting season has begun. If you will refer back to the summer posts from last year you will remember a few about cucumbers and jalapenos. This year is going to be a doozy for garden posts. Fortunately, and unfortunately, my dad was in the hospital when the planting season officially started but behold the hero of the garden, Uncle Wayne. He came to the rescue and started a few things for my dad in his garden. He has corn, and peas and a few other things I can't remember right now but he does have stuff planted. Yesterday, he planted some tomato plants. Which, is fine by me I love tomatoes. Zac finally planted some in our new yard last week. Well, my dad comes up to the house last night after he planted his tomatoes. (He has been helping us paint and stuff) This was the convo as he enters the house (not hey how are you but this) :

Daddy: "Well, yall don't plant any more tomatoes up here"
Me: "Ok? Why?"
Daddy: " Well, I went to buy some plants today and they had this bag of them on sale"
Me: Thinking to myself "Oh no what did he do"
Daddy: "I figured since they were on sale I'd just get the whole thing" Through hysterical laughter he then says "Just planted 28 tomato plants"
Me: "OMG are you serious?" "Really? 28?"
Daddy: "Yup, so yall don't plant any more"

Yes you did read that correctly, 28 tomato plants. 28! So we shall see what happens with all the tomatoes from said 28 plants. Once again, we may have to set up a road side stand and just give them away. I thought 9 cucumber plants was bad last year. I can only imagine how this is going to turn out. Tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, tomato salad, tomato sandwiches, tomato sauce, heck maybe we'll even start our on ketchup company. Maybe it will be called Taylor's Mater Ketchup and our slogan will be "We love to over plant!" Oh and I know he planted cucumbers already too but I was afraid to ask how many. I'll update on that later.

Uncle Wayne's Garden

Now on to the next garden story. Apparently, the whole over planting thing is a gene that the Taylor's carry. My Uncle Wayne has the biggest and, prettiest I might add, gardens I have ever seen. He starts planting as soon as he can. According to him, there are plenty of veggies you can plant before the last frost even. I should be an expert at this by now!

So, during this time of year whenever the fam is all together the convo always makes it to everybody's gardens. Well, last week when we were all together I asked my Uncle Wayne how his garden was coming along. Here is the way this convo went:

Uncle Wayne: Oh, its good. Planted watermelons last week.
Me: Oh really, well that's good.
Uncle Wayne: Yup, planted 28 plants and 25 came up (Do they have a thing with the number 28?)
Me: Excuse me? You have 25 watermelon plants? 25?
Uncle Wayne: Yup (then comes the same hysterical laugh)
Me: What in the world do you do with that much watermelon? You can't "can" that can you?
Uncle Wayne: Nope
My dad chimes in: Well, you can make watermelon rind pickles. (What is it with him and pickles?)
Me: Gross. Who wants that? So you mean to tell me you have 25 watermelon plants and they will all have to be eaten b/c there is no way to "put them up"
Uncle Wayne: Yup
I'm thinking to myself at this point "Uh, I love watermelon but geez there is NO WAY we are all going to be able to eat 25 plants worth"

Seriously, I think there needs to be an intervention here. Or a new series on TLC called "Over Planters" where they only let you plant like one at a time. If it doesn't come up then you can plant another but only one at-the-time, as my granny would say.

Don't get me wrong though, I love gardens and the whole planting your own food thing. I think it is wonderful that even I have that skill if I ever need to use it. I think everybody in our family gets excited about planting things. Zac and I do it too. I guess its just the fact that its getting warm and summer is coming that makes it all so appealing. But in about August, I will freakin hate it. I will be so tired of tomatoes, cucumbers and I'm sure watermelon by the fall. This year though I doubt I will have to slave in the summer heat to pick anything. I mean with a baby and all how will I have the time. I guess somebody else will have to take my place this year. Oh darn!

Please stay tuned. This year's garden season is sure to produce some great blog posts!