And my son is holding the living proof!
My husband has been cultivating our garden at our home in Highland Village, TX for a few years now and it's not only been a labor of love but it's been fruitful...ha ha ha.
We started with a dwarf orange tree and got a few oranges the first year and then last year, it was pretty much destroyed from our horrendous summer. Our garden has been a favorite spot for local squirrels and bunnies which is why we have trained our dogs to run out when they hear the code word "McGregor" (refer to Peter Rabbit).
The best harvest so far has been our blackberries. Plumpers, as we like to call them, are juicy, sweet and organically grown. My son is holding the first bunch of grapes ripe for the picking. They were tasty and even enjoyed by the littlest Hoffmann. We had some unfortunate luck with our nectarine tree, although I would say that they would have been excellent since the squirrels seemed to like them. They ate every single one of them before they were ripe and taunted my husband by leaving the pits in the yard. This is him with our dog after a sprint down the fence line with a rake. He's not sure what he would have done if he would have caught the little bugger.
We're far from self-sustaining but it's fun for all of us to see and taste progress in our own backyard. If you're considering a garden in your backyard, there are plenty of resources available! Try the Denton County Master Gardener Association for starters. You can call 940-349-2892 and leave a message or email them at master.gardener@dentoncounty.com.
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