Summer Gardens

Ahhhh, summertime! Ask just about anyone what they love most about a summer garden and I can almost guarantee they will say it’s all about the tomatoes. There is no way a store-bought tomato can come close to the complex flavor of a vine-ripened one, sweetened by the warm sun and picked at its peak. Quickly, slice it up, drizzle it with some extra virgin olive oil, add a few cranks of the pepper mill and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Pure heaven! As I write this, I am anxiously awaiting this very moment, the first bite of our first tomato; it is a cause for celebration.

Our summer weather here in the San Joaquin Valley is ideal for growing a garden. It is such a joy to feast on the fruits of your labors and to feel connected to the earth. You can begin your summer garden several months in advance by starting seeds indoors in a sunny window. It’s like witnessing a small miracle to watch the transformation from seed to salad. But most of us get a much later start, purchasing small plants from the nursery. Summer vegetables are easy to grow, seldom requiring more than water and abundant sunshine. A couple of months after planting you will be sharing your harvest with friends and looking for new ways to use up all those zucchini.

Plant what you enjoy eating. For us that is multiple varieties of tomatoes, green and yellow zucchini, several types of peppers, onions, cucumbers, green beans, eggplant and lots of herbs. We also include flowers as food for the pollinators and the soul. Sweet peas and poppies self-sow from year to year; their paintbox hues delight me each morning. And I must have a lavender plant or two, just because.

The number of plants will depend on how much space and time you want to devote to the garden. Even just a few pots on the patio will suffice to experience nature’s bounty this time of year. If you have lots of room, try some more unusual vegetables or include things that take up more space such as melons, corn, potatoes, pumpkins and sunflowers. If you have young children, let them help you plant. They will be inspired to try the foods they have grown. One of the quickest things to grow from seeds is radishes, which germinate in just a few days. Kids love to pull up the rosy globes in as few as three weeks after planting.

As a young girl, I helped my dad in the garden. Some years he went overboard on the tomatoes and my sisters and I would load up the wheelbarrow with them to deliver to our neighbors. Many years later when I was living in Chicago, I purchased a few tomatoes at a produce stand. I took them home and had a taste. Wow, I thought, they tasted like garden tomatoes! I went back for more and looked at the packing crate they had come in. It was from my hometown of Merced. I was instantly transported home to our family’s garden by this strong taste memory.
How lucky we are to live in the Central Valley, one of the richest food-producing areas in the world! Go ahead, plant a garden this summer. Grow delicious fresh food and cultivate some memories along the way. You will be richly rewarded!

Laurie Eager is the author and illustrator of In Papa’s Garden. A seeker of beauty every day, she is a watercolor artist and Mimi to eight grandchildren. Laurie loves adventure travel, all things French and dark chocolate. She lives in Stockton with her husband, Steve, and can be found most mornings enjoying a cup of coffee and the first rays of sunshine in their abundant vegetable garden.