How Does My Garden Grow?

I have never enjoyed gardening. I still don't bother with flowers or ornamentals; if I'm going to put in the effort, I want to get something major in return. The "beauty" of flowers doesn't count; they just die. I want the monetary savings of growing produce I don't have to pay for at Publix! :-D

I have actually - dare I say - looked forward to checking on my tomatoes & cucumbers each day this spring. :-) Maybe after so many blah northern summers where it was like pulling teeth to get them to grow reliably, I'm just enjoying living in a place that's full of greener, more vibrant life - and has been for almost 2 months already! (We've already been warmer than the hottest days last summer up north. I loooove that! We had a "cool snap" a few days ago, and it confirmed that I am not comfortable under 80°F. I had a discussion yesterday about this maybe relating to Annelise's cold allergy, that even though I don't break out like she does, what's "normal" cool is extremely cold to me and what's extreme heat to most people is lovely to me. But I digress... Suffice it to say, we are in a MUCH HAPPIER weather place for us! This weather has even done wonders for the eczema Will first developed when we moved up north 5 years ago.)

Check out my cherry tomatoes! They have been planted for 7 weeks, and both containers are waaay over 5 FEET tall, completely out of their cages:

Now, if they would just turn RED!!!

And my awesome cukes! Especially after last summer's pathetic attempt, where every. single. one. shriveled up & died after growing about an inch, we are SO EXCITED for these!

Annelise loves checking the plants with me, and we almost always see our cutie lizards out there while we water. Can I just say, again, how much I love the nature and LIFE surrounding us??? Here was last week with a green one:

And this was yesterday! (The little brown one is to the right of her head on the black pool fence pole.)

Edited to add...
After I posted, Will got home from school and asked if he could pick his 1st cucumber:

Cukes are his FAVE vegetable, and he's thrilled! (It was so sweet, too!)

Let the harvest begin!!!