I wasn’t a fan of bell peppers until the last few years. I don’t know what changed, but suddenly I can’t get enough of them. I add them to shrimp and grits, roast them as a side dish, and put them in most of my soups.

Brandon and the girls seem to like peppers more and more as the years pass too.

Since they’ve become a household favorite, I decided to add them to the patio garden this year. I’ve kept a close eye on them over the last few days. They’re still streaked through with green but turning a lovely shade of ripe red.

This was my first year growing bell peppers. I’ve grown jalapenos before and always ended up with more peppers than I knew what to do with. The bells seem to be more finicky than japs, though. Our harvest will be small, and the peppers seem stunted.

I’m not sure what went wrong – but I suspect it’s a combination of tobacco hornworms and the plants needing bigger pots.

It might sound crazy, but I’m kinda happy they didn’t turn out quite right. My stunted little bells have lit a fire under my behind. Next year, I will have a proper garden – even if it’s only one bed.

I’m looking forward to a bounty of beautiful bells in the future.

How about y’all? Did anyone else grow bell peppers this year? How’s your harvest looking?