When we rented this house we negotiated full rights to make the backyard a veggie garden (or “Vege” patch as they say here). We have to put it back to grass before we leave, but for now it serves a useful purpose. With the warmer weather the zucchini and cukes have started their bounty and I’m guessing that the tomatoes will come into their own in 3-4 weeks. This soil seems to need more fertilizer than I’m used to (to be fair, I haven’t used compost like at home). My other steep learning curve has been with something as simple as watering–the plants need a lot more watering than at home where it’s more humid and where we get rain more frequently in summer. It feels great to not purchase every bit of food we consume, and with Jeremiah’s recent hunting successes the freezer/fridge is feeling more bountiful.
Give It A Burl 
Thats beautiful! Makes me itchy to get outside and start tilling. Unfortunately, with the temperature at 4 above, tilling is out of the question. I’m glad you have a garden. Can’t imagine you not growing something!
Molly, looks like YOUR backyard should! We will have many of the same challenges as you when we start gardening in Alaska, with the added need for 7 foot fences to keep our the very large rodents. We’re hoping to start this year with our raised beds & greenhouse. Enjoy your bounty.
Is this garden covering your whole backyard?
Almost. The patio is paved and takes up about half the area, then we have a tiny grass patch where the sandbox resides. The front has lawn, but I wasn’t permitted to make it into a garden.