how my garden grows

i have been "gardening" for several years now.  each year i have grown my own vegetables/herbs from seeds.  and each year, my tomato plants have only yielded a few tomatoes, if any {last year i had one plant taller than me. it was healthy, beautiful, huge, and BARREN}.  maybe one cucumber {that did not look like a bitter tennis ball}.  no bell peppers.  you get the idea.  maybe i needed to do some serious fertilizing? i dont know.

this year, i took the "easy" way out and just bought all my plants as little plant babies early this season.

BIG difference.  besides watering them i havent touched them.  my grape tomatoes are growing...like grapes.

i am literally collecting handfuls every other day.

they are a quick fabulous treat every time i walk by the kitchen. mmmmm
dont you love the way your hands smell after you mess with your tomato plants?
oh my.
is there anything better??

this year we also have roma tomatoes
 
basil
 
rosemary and cilantro, red bell peppers, zuchinni and squash

blue berries and strawberries

zinnias

sunflowers and salvia

i designed and we stephen built these above ground gardens this year - they have made a huge difference and also look much nicer than the big white barrels of yesteryear :)


i have to admit buying my plants vs seeds has lead to much greater output and of course saves time.  who am i turning into? HA.  no really i dont think im going back to the seed method.
its worth the $3.99 per plant to have oodles and oodles of vegetables...vs. pennies for nothing.
what about yall? gardens this year? seeds or plants?
{i would love to hear tips if any of you DO grow from seeds and have not had this output problem like me}

in other news, this young man graduated from 3 yr old preschool yesterday:

and to answer your question, yes he was the only kid there who cleaned his plate.