Today was a big day at the Gallagosen household. It was our first foray into the world of gardening and things are looking good. Got some help from a local guy named Jason that knows a ton about gardens, and he had the tools to help get us started.

For about 45 minutes this morning he and Lu stood in the sunny back yard discussing the possibilities and evaluating the yard. We have tall trees that create shade during parts of the day, so certain plants have to be planted in very specific locations, while others won't work at all. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be quite enough direct light to grow tomatoes but we're going to aim for the last bright spot out there and hope for the best.

Lettuce, cale, spinach and other greens should do well, though. Herbs, chili peppers, beans, carrots, cukes and scallions are also on the menu and Jason even suggested that we give garlic a try and I am all for it. I love the idea of growing our own garlic.

He said the soil looked good but we opted to have him add in a bit of composted manure and he suggested that some lime was probably a good idea, too. There are soil samples out for testing, but time is wasting and we need to get this going.

Some day down the line we'll have a meal of veggies that Lu grew, and finish it up with a cup of coffee that I roasted. If we want breakfast, I guess chickens are next.