Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

With our garden in full swing, I've had tomatoes, squash, zucchini and jalapeño peppers coming out my ears. When we planted the garden, I insisted on lots of tomato plants so that I could can them and use them throughout the winter for chili and soups.

Here is what I've learned about gardening/canning:
-14 tomato plants is insane. 4 would have been plenty.
-8 jalapeño plants is insane. 1 would have been plenty.
- 14 squash and zucchini plants is insane. 2 of each would have been plenty.
- When canning, the jars don't come out of the water bath sealed already. You have to let them sit for hours. (This was the most devastating mistake of them all)
- You do need to boil the tomatoes after you blanch and peel them.
- At first I put all of the snails in a bucket and let them go free across the street....now I throw them against our house or smash them with rocks.
- Squash bugs all deserve to die miserable deaths
- One pumpkin plant needs A LOT of room!!!
- It's fun to throw the rotten tomatoes
- Weeding is overrated. My garden is full of weeds and still produces more food than I know what to do with.