parsley anyone?

Here's what I harvested from our rather neglected garden today:

It's parsley. Probably a year's worth after it's dried.

The second day of sun after a long stretch of storm grey left little excuse for staying inside all morning. Each spring, I always imagine a beautiful, well-tended garden like the ones I see in magazines. I usually start out well and rip out the weeds which dare invade the dark brown soil.  But it takes a lot of work to maintain a chemical-free green space. And time.

And then there's the inside chores which multiply when you tend to the outside ones.

So this year I end our garden story the same way I've ended it for years now...with a resolve to do better next year when things are fresh and new and the weeds have yet to gain a foothold. In the meantime, I'll spend the next six months dreaming up garden layouts and planting schedules and be praying that next year will be the year I manage to have reality match imagination.

How does your garden grow? If you've successfully tended and apple-pie-order garden, please, please share your tips. I'm all ears.