We're back! An introduction and a plea to get to know you, too.

It's about time I introduce myself. I'm Jennifer, friend to Marisa, whose beautiful family is pictured in the blog's masthead. I'm excited to write and share my enthusiasm for gardening. I am far, far from an expert on gardening, but I like it a lot -- and I think (hope!) that's the ingredient that counts.

I identify myself most through my five children, ages 7 to 19, who keep me just a wee bit busy. I'm a piano teacher with dirt under her fingernails. I guess I'm a nurturer at heart, for that is when I'm happiest -- and I learned early on the benefit of mixing time in my child-rearing day to tend plants that don't talk back. Working in the garden helps balance me. I love nothing more than my dusk weeding sessions ending in a game of catch with my boy.

I have a rather laissez-faire approach to gardening: "Oh, you like to grow there?" I may think about a volunteer plant. "Ok, then, you can stay." As a result, my gardens are more wild than tidy. A reflection of my thoughts if ever there was one. (Hmm ... does this paragraph suggest I talk to plants?)

In addition to the intangible harvests of gardening I also do it because I like to eat! For this blog I will write about the growing pains and successes in my backyard farm, as well as what I learn along the way from other gardeners. I want to raise chickens someday. I weathered a change in my city's ordinance that now allows chickens for my size lot, but I still need to get my husband on board.  We live in a 50-year-old home on a steep .19 acre lot. My greatest gardening challenges are slope, space and drought. I believe in matching plants to ambient conditions and letting the whole eco-system run with little interference. I don't use chemicals, but that's mostly because I don't like having to run out and buy one more thing, you know?

When Marisa started this blog in 2008 a band of other gardeners soon gathered and shared their insights through comments. I loved this! I want to recreate a sense of community among you, our readers. I know that you can find all sorts of information through the Internet, and I value that you choose to come here.

Will you do me a favor and introduce yourself? If you also have a gardening site please leave the address in your comment so we all can pay a visit.

Plus, my dandelion-blowing son, pictured above, is jockeying for computer time. When I told him I needed to do a post first he said, "Come on, Mom. No one reads your blog." Well! Would you address your comments to him? His name is Samuel.

Thanks. Come again!