Gardening

We have a garden! Some friends of ours who are gardening experts have decided to collaborate with us on a garden in our back yard (they don't have any sun in theirs), and we are so excited! We built raised beds and things are just starting to sprout. I took these photos a week ago and things have already changed a lot! Unfortunately, we just discovered some very nasty poison ivy growing in the dog run area where most of our vegetable beds are, so we're at war. Mike and his friend just went after it this evening, and they had to wear several layers of clothes and rubber gloves. Our next step involves cardboard and black plastic. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this helps!

These are our raspberry beds which will be filled with raspberry bushes eventually. That large bush behind them is a blackberry bush (we think).

These beds are empty still, waiting to get planted with corn and squash. Most of the leafy foliage you see in the back corner is poison ivy.
These beds have 17 heirloom tomato plants given to us by a horticulturalist friend. There will be all kinds of amazing tomatoes (hopefully) in many different interesting colors, shapes and sizes. The varieties have darling names like "Box Car Willie," "Aunt Ruby," and "Hawaiian Currant." We also have green beans, purple colored beans, watermelon, basil, cucumber, bell peppers, and jalapeno.

I have never grown anything before and am therefore totally clueless, so I'm so happy to be learning all about it from our friends. This has been a great experience so far!