In our old house, we inherited a massive vegetable garden, that at the time seemed really fun to do. Not knowing very much about vegetable gardens, we planted tomatoes, lettuce, everything we could think of. Now, the problem with having a large garden like this does pose some things we didn't think of. One, it needed to be weeded, and often. It is crazy how fast weeds grow; we were a bit overwhelmed. Two, if your bounty is successful, you may have too much of one thing! You get a zucchini, and you get a zucchini, we were giving them away in bunches. After a while, we gave up on the garden and let it grass over.
We settled our new home, now of 9 years, and I was missing the delicious rewards of having fresh herbs and veggies from our own garden. We did plan on building some raised vegetable beds this year, but we decided to try something smaller. I am a bit of a vintage furniture nut and wanted to incorporate some pieces into our garden. I found this very worn antique table (on Facebook Marketplace), and I knew this would be the jumping-off point of inspiration for this project. With a bit of TLC, and my own touches (like the wood burnt herb sign), and I knew this little table would be perfect.
I wanted to add some decorative touches to this space and was so excited when I found these adorable wrought iron cafe chairs. With a quick clean up and a fresh coat of white paint, they were perfect. While I was purchasing the chairs, I fell in love with this aged pot and bought it as well. The aged patina is absolutely gorgeous. I planted a fragrant lavender plant in the pot and this vignette was complete.
There is no better taste and nothing more satisfying than fresh tomatoes from the vine. Toasted bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches in the summer is our favorite lunch. We also love the taste of fresh tomatoes for Pico de Gallo (recipe below) with salsa chips to dip. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I used these vintage wood boxes which were ideal to plant my tomatoes in, along with some fresh basil.
We have some friendly little bunnies in area, so we had to get these wood box planters higher off the ground. We quickly made a wood table for them, out of old scraps of wood that we had around the house. A coat of white paint and another wood burnt sign, we were done.
A great way to use your fresh tomatoes is to make your own salsa to dip your tortillas chips in. Click on the photo to get this delicious recipe.
Along with the herbs and tomatoes, I wanted to plant some red and green cabbage as well. I planted them in some tin buckets that I had, and they are going to look really pretty as they get larger.
What makes for a great bbq - other than juicy burgers? A great coleslaw. I had to share this incredible recipe that I now make all the time. You have to check it out.
Amazing No Mayo Coleslaw recipe (from Camilla Alves)
Green cabbage, red onion, and apples mixed well with some oils and vinegar, and you have the makings of a great coleslaw. Click on the photo to get the recipe.
From what I am seeing, raised veggie beds are very popular this year, and that makes me so happy. I love that folks are trying their hand at growing their own foods. There is nothing more satisfying than the fruits of your labor. I may try to do a larger garden in the future, but for now, I love my quaint little area, where the bird's chirp, the soft wind flows in and out, and there is tranquility.
Happy gardening.
Tracy x
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