Maybe my thumb's not so black after all...

I hope I didn't jinx myself by the title, but I actually have things growing in the back yard that aren't weeds!

In trying to make less of an impact on the earth and move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, I thought I'd try my hand at growing my own food. Not that I think I can completely supply the family with fruits and veggies year round. Plus, I've been known to kill more plants than I've saved. But I have to start somewhere, right? So I bought a small, really random assortment of plants a couple of weeks ago. It seems like these are the most likely to survive out here, as they were really the only selections. I got two tomato plants, one cherry and one Roma, a green bell pepper, lemon balm, and a watermelon plant. I know, random. But amazingly, they've been growing.

Here are the cherry tomatoes on their merry way:


You'll notice the brown leaves. I read after the fact that you shouldn't water the leaves of tomatoes. The leaves higher up are fine.

The watermelon is coming along too, producing longer tendrils each day.

The watermelon originally had only three little leaves. I'm so proud of my babies!

These ants, however, do not share my joy.

If you look closely, you'll see they're carrying their larvae away from the "flood" that descended upon their home. I left them scurrying for cover en masse on the fence.

The Roma and bell pepper haven't really done much yet, but at least they're still green. That's a success in itself.

I realize this is nothing compared to most gardeners, but I'm happy that in my little desert back yard, I finally have a bit of green. It makes the dream of being more sustainable a possibility rather than just a dream.

Green thumb image from KGW Going Green.