Good Things Growing

After seven months of being trapped in a confined area, far off to sea, Jane has found herself noticeably drawn to the natural, the organic and the home-grown. One of her first actions after returning to San Diego last summer was to root up the old tulip bulbs in the back yard and replace them with a self-fashioned wooden garden bed, which she then filled with a mixture of soils and a collection of vegetable seeds. I joined in the fun by constructing a compost bin (econo-style, by sawing off the bottom of a garbage can and poking breathing holes for the compost into the side). Since beginning this project, we've enjoyed fresh handfuls of basil (far more pungent than any store-bought bags) and sprigs of mint, clusters of arugula (we may as well get the words "COASTAL ELITE" tattooed onto our foreheads), zucchini, beets, a few green beans, tomatoes (still ripening on the vine as we speak), and numerous towering sunflowers.

The latest addition to Jane's garden is a watermelon, whose spiralling vines have been overtaking the box for the last month, and is finally beginning to bear fruit. It's been fascinating to watch the tiny buds grow into perfect miniature melons. Most have given up and died, a sad product of the damp, moldy sea air we experience from living so close to the ocean. But one little guy has held on, and we recently had to situate it atop a commandeered plastic crate to keep the heaviness of the fruit from bending the vine. Jane worries over it daily, testing the melon for squishiness and making sure it receives the proper amounts of water. No idea how much longer he'll hang on, or what size he will reach. But we're both looking forward to sharing at least a mouthful of sweet watermelon juice come early winter (early winter = watermelon season? how crazy....).