We've done some vegetable gardening over the years, as our father did when we were young. In our last stronghold, the trees were nice, but they blocked the sun. The new place, better exposed, makes the gardening that much more fun. We built a large frame box on the lawn and grew spinach on and on, Cherry tomatoes (weeds! they are!), Japanese cucumbers (production improved when fenced from squirrels), thai chilipeppers (damn hot!), and shiso. Always shiso! Aka Perilla. Aka Beefsteak Plant.

The green onions and carrots survived over winter when we abandoned the garden to the elements. Come Spring, we remember the garden and go find giant green onions and weirdly shaped carrots!

Green onions are great. Cut the bottoms off store bought ones, stick them in the dirt and they grow. Grow, harvest, cut and repeat. Dump a pack of seeds in planter and a million of 'em will rise. Carrots are hardy too, but grow forever till a decent size. We've read they grow well in poor soil.