How does your garden grow?

I am admittedly one of the cheapest people on the planet (as the offspring of Rocky McCartney I was just born loving the thrill of getting things that are cheap and free!) and I have discovered yet another cheap source of food...a garden! Now, you say, "Ashley, I can't garden! I wouldn't know where to begin!" Here are some pointers:
1. Move in with someone who already has a garden plot, tons of fruit trees, grapevines, and an automatic sprinkling system.
2. Make sure your husband (or wife as the case may be) is on board and will do lots, if not all of the work.
3. Make sure you married into a family who knows a lot about gardening and preserving food and will spray your plants and tell you when they're ready and what to do with them when they are.
4. Plant some seeds.
5. Enjoy!

Sounds easy, right?! Come on, if I can do it, you can do it!
Some fruits of our labors:








So far this year we have put up (canned or frozen):

14 quarts of apricots
4 pints apricot jam
7 quarts of pears
14 quarts of peaches
21 quarts of tomatoes
22 quarts of grape juice
3 stuffed full quart bags of green beans
about 8 freezer bags full of puree'd or sliced frozen zuchiini and squash (we sneak these into sauces so the kids don't notice and will eat them!)

And one peach tree, three apple trees, and about half the grapes aren't ready yet! Oh, and my tomato plants are still going crazy and we've eaten more cucumbers than I can count. We also had some romaine lettuce and cilantro earlier in the year and a couple of bell pepper plants that have done okay. It has been a good experience since it has been so easy and productive. I can't wait to plant a garden at our new house! I want to add cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins, carrots, and corn for sure!!

PS If you can't garden, become good friends with someone who can! Especially if they have a large garden and can't possibly consume it all so they feel the need to share...with you! As my wise husband always says, "Access is better than ownership!"