In my last post I talked of a garden that I loved dearly.. even just watching it grow in the summer was a pleasure to me. Unfortunately the old gentleman who tended it has passed, and the garden is no more.. But the spirit of it will live on with all of those who he inspired to grow a garden themselves. Details of how to grow pretty much everything can be found all over the internet, but cucumbers and lettuces struck me as wonderful beginner veggies, so I've outlined some easy to follow guides.

Cucumbers
1.   Cucumbers come in all shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. Choose one that suits your needs (I like slicing cucumbers the best, personally). They're best grown from seeds, and should be planted in rich, mulchy, composty soil about 1/2-1” deep, in clusters of 3-4  seeds. Space clusters 8-12” apart for best results (and least crowding).
   Also, keep in mind that cucumbers and cool weather do not mix. Cucumber seeds won't germinate until the soil temperature hits around 70 degrees, and plants will just sit there, not doing much of anything, unless the weather is consistently warm. Don't bother sowing cucumber seeds until three to four weeks after your last frost date, because chances are they will become bird seed. 

2.  Cucumbers, like ducklings, LOVE water. They grow super fast and will need to be kept consistently moist, and once they start fruiting they will require even more. Regular watering is essential. Daily. No slacking. 

3.   They'll start producing fruit withing 45-65 days of planting. Like I said, they grow super fast. Keep them watered, and pick fruit once desired size is reached (before they go soft, though).

~Note~
Be careful of the spiny vines when harvesting. Using scissors is a good idea :)

Lettuces

It's amazing how few people realize the joys of lettuces. They're easy to grow, don't require a lot of space, and are so much better tasting than what's available at Safeway. They're a cool-weather crop, so sow seeds as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring or after the hottest days of the summer.

1.   Plant seeds outdoors in beds or rows 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, 6 to 8 inches for loose-headed types,  and 12 to 16 inches for firm-headed types. Water every other day, but don't soak. If the soil gets permanently soggy the roots can develop root rot.
~Sow in semi-shaded areas in late spring to extend the harvest into the summer.
~~Plant three rotations of plants, at 10-14 day intervals, for a longer harvest season.

2.   Apply a layer of mulch (1-3”) in early summer to keep the soil cool.

3.   Insects and diseases are rare in home lettuce plantings, but spritzing lightly with a vinegar-water solution is a natural and harmless way to keep pests off of plants.

4.   Since all leaf lettuces grow at different paces, harvest times vary, but the leaves will look full and lovely. For the bestest lettuces, harvest in the morning when they're crispest.

            I was 11 when I realized the magnificence of a garden. My dad's neighbor's were retired, and they had a garden that took up their whole back yard. It was entrancing, really, to stare across the fence at it. There was everything from corn to potatoes, onions and tomatoes, and it was all grown organically. We never spoke much, me and them, but one day the elder gentleman needed help weeding, and I wanted to see their garden up close, so over the fence I went.
            It was rewarding work, to feel the earth between my fingers as they sought for dandelions and random stray plants that didn't belong. We worked for hours, meticulously grooming through the rows, as he taught me about (and let me sample) his garden. First were the cucumbers, almost unrecognizable from the ones lined up, so straight and perfect in the produce section. I hadn't realized they could grow any way but straight, or that they grew laying in the dirt like that. This row we were working on were different lettuces (which I recognized) and chard, which I'd never known existed. It's neon colored stalks and large green leaves were absolutely beautiful, but when I tried a little piece it seemed quite sour. Bitter when it's raw, he says, best to cook it in butter. Helps us old folk not bruise up so bad, you see?
            Over here was broccoli, hiding behind it's giant leaves. Green beans and sugar snap peas climbed a back fence and through their corn with untrained joy. A plant will never be sweeter than it is the moment it's picked, and fresh snap peas are just the best! There were the last raspberries and strawberries of the season, and they were perfect, too. Did you know strawberries grown at home are smaller, softer, and red all the way through? They don't sell strawberries like this at Safeway, and with each bite, if I wasn't careful, juice would run down my chin.
            The sun's going down, and the garden is pretty well weeded. C'mon, kid, only one row left. We're doing good, he says it would've taken him all weekend to do this. I'm proud, to be only 11, and to have been such a big help. The last row is summer squash and there are yellow ones and green ones, Zucchini, he says, when I ask if it's a cucumber. We work our way down the row, picking out grass here, other weeds there. We're near the end of the row and we're tired now, it's been a long afternoon. Here, kid. Look at this. He's got one that's been growing like wildfire, and it must be five pounds if it's an ounce. I've never seen a vegetable so big, and I've never wanted one so badly. He wrestles it off the vine and hands it to me, saying You'd better learn how to cook with that, it's no good raw. My eyes dance as I think of the possibilities. I've just started cooking often, and there is so much to learn.
            The dirt is packed under my nails, in my hair, on my nose and on my knees as I head home that night, tired, but full of berries and vegetables. I carry my prize, and as I walk in the door my dad exclaims it's the biggest zucchini he's ever seen, and that it was very nice of me to help the neighbors. I smile, then, and tell him I'll just have to make a lot of zucchini bread then (something I'd never had before, but had been wanting to try) and that I wouldn't have traded that afternoon for the world.