My mother had a black thumb.  Seriously, she couldn’t even keep a cactus alive. So, it was astounding to my parents when I started gardening after Rob & I bought our house.

I started small –  a tomato plant, mint, lavender.  I learned some lessons – Here’s a quick tip for you as I wish someone, ANYONE, would have told me this. Don’t ever plant mint in the ground – nothing you do will make that invading delicious smelling plant go away!!!  8 years later I can’t stop the stupid mint from coming back no matter how hard I try.

I got more “daring” as the years passed various tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, cherry peppers, strawberries, snap peas, cucumbers basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, lemon balm.  Each year, I  switch up the veggies but tomatoes remain a constant.

When I was a little girl, my mom & I used to get those juicy red Jersey tomatoes from the farmer’s market.  We would slice it up like an apple and eat with salt – how I wish she could taste the heirloom tomatoes I am trying my hand at this year.

Here’s another lesson I learned – I have my mother’s black thumb when it comes to herbs.  I can’t keep them alive.  Sucks for the dead plants but I couldn’t be more proud to be my mother’s daughter, her partial black thumb and all.