ladybug tower of cilantro

Not so many weeks ago my dad and I went to Home Depot and bought a ton of plants. All sorts of tomatoes, eggplant, hot and bell peppers, squash, strawberries, watermelons, cantaloupe, cilantro and onions. The next Saturday we went back and bought more. The Saturday after that we went back and bought even more.

All February long while riding the bus home I had been reading a gorgeous book about dirt. I was so excited to finally have a garden. And I was pretty happy because all the leaves that had fallen from the nearby apple trees had made pretty good soil, chock-full of warms. But just in case, we went back to Home Depot for soil and I started composting finally. Sometimes my dad sat beside the garden in a lawn chair and gave some advice. I remember he said not to plant them too close together. And to give them plenty of water. (Considering his head injury, that was a lot for him to figure out to tell me and I was so happy for the advice.)

So now my cilantro is at least 3 or 4 feet tall. Who knew cilantro would grow tall? I think I am as stunned at its height each time I go out there as I was the first time I realized it was so tall. I feel like I have been shown something that had been held as a wonderfully silly secret by the earth, some delightful gag, the sort that would cause you to hold your hands to your mouth to suppress the giggles.

Ladybugs and creatures dressed up like ladybugs cover the cilantro like ornaments on a Christmas tree. 

Today I found these peppers had got color.

My mother and me sitting under the apple trees my dad planted years ago.

Comments

[jami]

I've always wanted to see your garden.