Close readers of this blog--and there are so many--may recall that I've long desired to grow my own okra, with little success. Last summer, I tried again. This time, I used Clemson Spineless Okra seeds ordered from Botanical Interests, and started them in small pots in late May. In July, I transferred one small plant into a 5 gallon container and planted two in the ground.

In a couple of weeks, the two in the ground were dead--brought down by a combination of wayward chickens and whatever it is that makes my garden bad for okra. But, the one in the container survived. I had the plant in a fairly sunny spot and watered it often, and it eventually grew big enough to produce some lovely blossoms. Like eggplant, okra has such pretty flowers you could almost grow it as an ornamental.

From this one blooming plant, I got a grand total of... four okra! Small victories, people. (That should be the official motto of my garden.) All four were a pretty good size--two to three inches--and very tasty. I love the flavor and crunch of fresh okra.

To be honest, the plant never really got very bushy and kind of struggled along. I think I might do better next year with more container plants and some careful tending. I am determined to get at least a double digit okra harvest this coming summer. I've been getting some great compost from my bin lately, so that should help.

One of the many ways Dakota and I attempt to be both frugal and healthy is by packing our own lunches as often as possible. I think Dakota manages it more often than I, although my job involves going out to lunch several times a week, so I have an excuse. Several years ago, I came across some reusable sandwich bags and thought they were a great idea. I purchased some, and we've used them instead of disposable plastic sacks ever since.

The first variety I picked up, which we still have, are called Wrap-n-Mats. They're basically a flat rectangle with the corners cut off. One side is cloth and they other side is plastic. You place your sandwich in the center, fold the mat around it and fasten with a strip of Velcro. They work quite well, and, when you open them up, they make a nice little surface to eat off at your desk.

Recently, I picked up two other varieties of reusable sandwich bags from a website I like called reuseit.com. One was their own store brand of bag, and the other is made by LunchSkins. They're both pouch-style bags, which means they work for sandwiches, but you can also fill them with crackers or cookies or carrots.

I don't have a strong preference for any particular type of reusable sandwich bag, but I do recommend them as a great way to stop using disposables. They're not cheap, but if you use them several times a week for years, then I think they'll cost a lot less than disposable bags. Or, if you're crafty, make them yourself with some oilcloth or other water-resistant material. I've seen some really cute snack bags on various craft sites that I'll probably make for my son when he starts taking his lunch to school. All you need is a little bit of cloth and some Velcro.

Another thing I'd like to do is start taking my own containers to take-out places. We don't get take-out food that often, but when we do I always feel bad about how much plastic and--horrors!--Styrofoam is involved in packaging the food.

In case anyone is wondering, I am not getting paid for talking about these products or the website. I sometimes get those offers, but haven't taken anyone up on them so far. If I ever do get a free product, I will be sure to mention that fact in the text of the post.

Due to the recent addition to our family--and all the time and attention he requires--I have let some parts of my garden languish. The larger lower raised bed, where I usually plant most of my vegetables, lay fallow last summer and continues to sit untended this winter. My neglect, combined with an unusually rainy November and December, has led to some interesting developments. Specifically, quite a few volunteer plants.

Pictured above are several volunteer fava beans, sprouted from seeds that fell from unpicked pods, and a couple of fennel plants that are growing new bulbs from the roots left behind after last year's hasty harvest. There are also a few peas growing in another part of the bed.

As you may have guessed from looking at the photos, I haven't watered, weeded or planted in this garden since last April. I have thrown in some dirty straw from the chicken coop from time to time, but that's the extent of my attention to this particular garden. Despite that, I think I may actually get a few peas this year, and it seems likely some favas will be harvested as well.

I've decided to keep neglecting this bed until this Spring, just to see what happens. Perhaps I have stumbled on a new kind of low-impact gardening for myself. Plant every two years and then ignore. Although, I have a feeling that if it weren't for this year's unusual rainstorms, many of these volunteers would not have appeared.