[/caption] Every year I make the promise to start a garden, and every year I do, but by mid-August, there is usually nothing left but a few burnt looking bushes and some sad looking herbs. It seems that I often bite off more than I can chew. This year I decided to start off slowly and only plant a few choices items: tomatoes, ground cherries, and a few herbs. I also decided to involve both of my lil' monkeys.

It was the first sunny day of the summer season and both of my kids were as happy as pigs in (well, you know), playing in my planters, digging up the dirt and squishing the worms. A few ants were eaten by Zoe, and Philippe was in a zen-like state putting his pudgy little hands in the warm earth.

This year, despite Zoe and I planting some "special" seeds from Annapolis Seeds in the winter, I ended up buying a few tomato and ground cherry plants from the Dartmouth Farmers' Market. We planted yellow and red grape tomatoes and a whole bunch of ground cherry plants. As for herbs, a quick trip to the Halifax Seaport Market to ransack Riverview Herbs, and we planted a large pot with rosemary, thyme, basil and Italian parsley to start off the season.

To keep things interesting, I have decided that I will plant a second series of herbs in July. I am looking forward to some chervil, cilantro, savory and sage. Though our yard still needs a lot of work before I can have the dream garden that I want, a few pots of vegetables and herbs are a great start for kids and non-green thumbers.

Luckily enough, I am taking part in a school garden program at Shubenacadie Elementary School this year as part of a Slow Food Nova Scotia initiative, so all my dream vegetables will be planted there for me to help take care for during the summer and help harvest with the kids in the fall.