I learned my lesson from years past, with things like tomatoes. One plant is enough to feed two people all season long. This year, the garden will provide for a handful of dedicated weeders.
This planting season started out a disaster. Oh sure, rain is good, great, and fantastic, but not on a daily basis or with lower than normal temperatures.
I've been patiently waiting to start the small garden. We plan on growing flowers around the sides and vegetable rows in the middle. I took an hour or two to scoop away some mud and plant seeds and a few seedlings.
The flowers are done! I have no idea what they're called, but if they grow, they'll be quite nice. I do know that along the chain link fence that separates the properties, there will eventually be morning glory blossoms.
I managed to get three rows of veggies planted before the rain started up again. Green and yellow beans, onions, and um... something else. Uh ...
At the top of each row, I placed alternating baby cukes and celery. They're already started, so they should be okay. Unless the rain continues. Course, we don't have it anywhere near as bad as people along the Mississippi River. We are fortunate here, it's just delayed spring and everything that comes along with it.
Another problem, of course, is the local wildlife. Birds pick at the seeds and dig for worms, while squirrels set out to destroy the plants and vegetables by biting/ripping/chewing them to death. Oh, they don't need the nutrients, they just do it for laughs. I know because I've watched a few.
Don't even get me started on the pumpkins. One year they chewed at them every night until they could crawl right inside and eat the seeds out.
...But this year's garden will be different (if it stops raining).
Oh the chocolate, right! For the first time ever, I came across chocolate covered sunflower seeds in this area. Now, I don't shop at all the stores in town, especially since I hoof/bus it everywhere, so when I see something, I grab it. Word out on the street is, these little candies are delicious, and they're quite popular in the US and overseas in countries like Korea. No word of a lie. In some regions, they tell the children that the candied sunflowers are healthy. Sure, if you count the 4 grams of protein listed on the back and whatever minute amount of other nutrients you get from the seeds themselves. The rest of it is pure tasty garbage.
Unlike the garden, these little candies didn't stand a chance. I ripped the package open and dropped them into a couple bowls (oh what, you thought I was going to eat all of them?) and served them up.
Now, the first ingredient in these babies is sugar, with actual sunflowers listed at third. Yikes. That's a lot of processed sugar and yes, the shell felt thicker than it needed to be. The company could have dipped the seeds in cane-based chocolate, but then I suppose the cost would have increased ten-fold.
At any rate, we chomped on them until they were gone. It took about 3 minutes, if I overestimate the time. No, it wasn't a healthy snack, but you only live once, right?
Ratings:
Gardening: 6 / 10 - too muddy, wet, and cold. Thanks a lot, whoever is responsible for the current weather. Mother nature? Humans? Both?
Life Brand Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds:
7 / 10 - Scored points as a novelty, but as a chocolate,
it contained way too much junk. Hopefully they come
out with a dark chocolate version using cane sugar.
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