Erik decided years ago he wanted to plant a veggie garden, but never had the time to invest. I have had run of the property with my flower beds, pots and xeriscape specimens for years, and finally this year he decided he wanted in on the fun.

The only patch of our yard left without something green growing in it (and with enough sun to make it usable) is the west side of the house, a 12×20 foot area. This was where we threw all the old lawn furniture, leftover construction materials, and empty flower pots. Luna the Chicken would roll around in the loose dirt on occasion just to take a bath. Other than that, it was pretty much the forgotten corner of the garden.

The first thing Erik did was to buy and read cover-to-cover The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith. The first instruction was to dig down into the soil 6-10 inches then build a 12″ raised bed. With our hard soil, Erik had to go at it with a pick. It was not easy work. He ordered a few yards of sandy loam and filled his 6×14 foot raised bed. It was time to plant the seeds.

This was back in January. And while Phoenix weather is pretty much perfect that time of year we weren’t getting enough sun to grow the plants in a satisfactory time-frame. It’s now the end of May and finally we are enjoying my favorite of root vegetables, the Chioggia Beet. This tasty treat is sweet as sugar when roasted and absolutely superb when added to a salad.

This evening I wilted the greens and tossed them with the cooked beets and a dressing made with lemon zest and juice from our Meyer Lemon tree, as well as mint and parsley from the garden. It’s been a long five months waiting and watching these beauties grow, but it was worth it. The next crop should be ready in a few weeks. I can’t wait!