Gardening: my planting experiments

I have been gung ho getting my garden in and using it this year.  There is something almost magical about planting a seed, watching it grow with just water and air and soil and getting this WONDERFUL food in the end. I have had such great success this year.  I tried to be as organic as possible. I didn't have the same bug problems as last year and my plants just GREW!  I love organic gardening. I even started a compost pile.

Here's what I've grown, and attempted this year:
raspberries (new this year and producing already- YEAH)
pumpkins (planted three times and finally coming in ok)
cucumbers (bugs got to the biggest vine, but I put them in a better place called the Landfill!)
tomatoes ( pear, cherry, yellow heirloom, roma, and big boy)
zucchini ( made great relish and mustard pickles this year)
broccoli and cauliflower ( gotta learn more about this one and how to keep it growing)
dill (worked great next to broccoli and cauliflower to keep bugs away- WORKED)
parsley (started from small plant and grew very well next to my tomatoes)
strawberries (that's were the slugs and bugs went first)
sunflowers (7-8 feet tall!)
morning glory and white decor pumpkins ( on the tee pee stand we made, did great)
some summer squash (really sweet and can't figure out what it is)
peppers (hot and green, the hot ones were really hot, great for my brother-in-law)
watermelons (had two already -YUMMY)
canteloup and some other sweet melon - very good, did really well for a compact space as long as I led the trails where I wanted them)
Blueberries ( love coconut husks and Dr. Earth fertilizer)
sweet peas- (lasted for a week and died, weather too hot)
spinach and other lettuce varieties- (butter, romaine, red leaf, and spinach did great. I couldn't eat them fast enough, will grow less and spread out the time I plant next year.)
beets and radishes (will definitely plant them again next year.  Beets were tender and juicy and radishes are still too spicy for me.  I like them a little milder.  I will try a different variety next year.

Herbs- tried a few herbs this year and they grew like wildfire (comfrey, horehound, catnip, parsley, dill, clary sage)

All and all it's been a great year. I've put up jams, sauces, peaches, apples (oh, my apple tree did well, and it's really small), salsa,  and relishes and pickles from all that zucchini.  Ask me and I'll send the recipes that worked well for me this year.  I used low to no sugar canning.

I have loved the garden this year. I used my regular sprinkler system and even used cornmeal on the grass for fertilizer and weed control, which reminds me I need another application for the fall.  The earth is good and their is plenty to give when we tend it and care for it.