Garden Dreaming
I have a dream….a dream of a beautiful garden. A hearty vegetable garden that we tend regularly, bringing in bountiful baskets of ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, fresh herbs. The whole 9 yards. Can’t you just envision it?
A beautiful kitchen garden via
Unfortunately. I haven’t had much luck with actually making that dream a reality. Two or three years ago, I really tried to get a Spring garden going. I knew nothing about what to plant, how to plant it, or even if I had the right conditions to grow anything. As it turned out, my yard only receives a nominal amount of direct sunlight, the soil is terrible, and it’s home to some crafty critters who stole almost everything before it could fully ripen. Needless to say, my bountiful harvest that year amounted to only a handful of green beans. Oh yeah, I also went away on a Disney vacation that summer and everything pretty much died during that blazingly hot week….womp womp!
Well, I’m no quitter! So, I’m back at it. Initially, I tried to secure a plot in the community garden here, but I haven’t been able to get in. Previous members have first dibs, and since this is really a ‘long-term’ type of family community, no one is giving up their plot anytime soon. So, I’ve moved on to Plan B – start my own garden in my backyard. I’m now much more realistic about what we can grow and what my family will actually eat. With that said, I’ve been studying the sunlight in my yard, and I plan to construct some raised garden beds and buy some good quality soil to get things started. Shielding the plants from the birds, squirrels, and whatever else is out there is also high on the priority list. I have a pretty good plan sorted, and I’m confident that I can get something growing out there!
My planned layout
Also, because my mind tends to go a bit too far in the “I can definitely do that!” direction, I think it would be pretty awesome to turn our unused shed back there into some kind of potting shed-slash-outdoor retreat. With some outdoor string lights, comfy outdoor cushions, and copious amounts of bug spray, can’t you see it? This spot certainly has potential!
