My name is Anna. I'm from Vietnam. In my country, the weather is only rainy and sunny. I love summer. I like to see snow, but I don't like the long winters in Minnesota. However, it's cool to experience four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. After five years of living in Minnesota, I've grown to love summer. Because I can grow some vegetables in my backyard. It's convenient to have a garden at your house, because you can have fresh vegetables whenever you want. The winter here lasts too long, from December to May. During April, I was excited to see spring and summer approaching. You know, Minnesota has really awesome summers. I can hear bird sounds all morning. In the summer, the day is longer than the night. I remember the first year I came here, I was surprised to see that 8 to 9 p.m. still had sunlight. That never happens in Vietnam. That's why I really enjoy summers.
If you like to save money and garden, you should start growing some vegetables. In May, you can go to this market named Hmong Town Marketplace (Address: 217 Como Ave., St Paul, MN 55103) to buy seedlings to plant. They sell a lot of vegetables, and the prices are very cheap. It depends on what type of vegetables you want to grow. My husband and I come to this market every year to buy plants. I like to grow cucumber, basil, bottle gourd, zucchini, green onions, peppers, mint basil, green beans, and tomatoes. I love summer in Minnesota because of the really nice weather. I love to enjoy the outdoors. During summer, after class, I like to stay in my garden, pick some weeds, water the plants, wait for them to grow, take a couple of months, and then harvest. I love that.
Plants grown at your house are always cooler than buying them at the store. They're fresh and last longer. I like the time when the plants have a harvest to pick. I don't have to go to the store to buy vegetables. I just go to my backyard, cut the vegetables I need, and go inside to cook. Here are some pictures of my garden. I enjoy every year just like that. I hope you guys enjoy and do the same as I do.
