Welcome to spears (as in asparagus) shoots (as in peas) & stalks (think corn and beans), a blog born in a backyard garden in Encinitas, California, where the sun shines most of the time.  This blog is my opportunity to catalog and share my love of all things gardening, as well as my growing inventory of garden-inspired recipes.

My three girls (ages 11, 9 and 7) are what get me out bed in the morning; the garden is what gets me out of the house.  Thank heaven for both!  You’ll notice plenty of posts here intertwining gardening and kids — they intertwine so naturally! — but the garden is not only about the kids.  It’s my thing; it’s a family thing; and it’s its own thing.  It’s always interesting, a constant source of change and surprise.  It can be soothing and therapeutic, gratifying and edifying; a source of revelations!  It can also be annoying and unpredictable and out of control. (Oh yeah. Sort of like kids.)

I don’t pretend to know a huge amount about growing vegetables or children.  In the seven years I’ve been gardening and parenting, I’ve had some conspicuous successes and some equally notable failures (the girls are unequivocal successes, despite certain of my failures).  But I am learning… and we’re all eating better… and the effect on the grown-ups’ health, in particular, has been awesome!  Good clean fruit-and-vegetable input  = optimal energy output!

I hope this blog will be of use to you!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.  I’m just a regular chick who spears shoots & stalks.