Gardening: the good, the bad, and the ugly, Part 1

When I was a kid, gardening was my LEAST favorite "chore" in the world.

Ask my mother.

I don't remember being much of a drama queen in my childhood unless I was in the garden. The combination of sun, sweat, parched throat, dirt, bugs and forced labor never worked well for me. And weeds, my word, God wasn't kidding when he kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden.

I wasn't really a lazy child, maybe a little, but I loved doing things like mowing and laundry. I always wanted to weed-eat, but I don't think Dad ever let the notion even come to consideration. And for some reason I don't think Andrae would let me try either.

Hmm, could it be that they don't think I should lose my toes and fingers at such a young age?

I would probably lose something...

Snapping beans was probably the worst part of gardening. After tilling, planting, watering, and reaching amidst the spiders to pick the beans, having to sit and SNAP, SNAP, SNAP wasn't my ideal gardening situation.

Even today, I don't think I will ever grow green beans.

I haven't even gotten to the bad and the ugly yet, we are still in the good part.

{What, am I discouraging you from gardening?}



Me gardening...



I get married. We sustain ourselves all summer with store-bought bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

I really began to miss eating a sun-warmed sweet banana pepper with a sandwich.

I don't eat tomatoes, but I love the scent of a tomato plant. I missed that.

I missed picking a cucumber and being pricked by it's little spines.

I missed dirt.

Why Mom? Why did you do this to me?

Why did you have to raise me on fresh, healthy, organic food? Why can't I be content to be an average fat and unhealthy city kid?

My cries into the night yielded no answers, so garden I must.

With my hubby as my workhorse (forced labor), we (he) cleared a perfect 6' wide by like 20-30' long space for a garden. I bought a few seeds from Lowes, veggies from the local green house, and about 60perennials through the mail from Bluestone Perennials. They really do have great plants.

Bluestone's starter garden

While my plants were arriving, Andrae rented a GIANT tiller from the local rental store.

When I say giant, I don't simply mean a "big" tiller, I'm talking about a tiller so huge, so bad, and so ugly that it took two people to hold it down.

I wish I could find the pictures.

They are priceless.

THE GOOD

Speed ahead to July 4th, 2008:



My lettuce star that we didn't eat. #1 it was too pretty, #2 it was too dirty.
By the time you washed all of the mud off, there was no lettuce left. But it was cute.



Cucumbers, peppers & tomatoes



Peppers were great!





Chives





Sage





I think this is my basil plant, but the leaves look too small.
Regardless, my basil that year grew to about 2 1/2 feet wide and probably 2 feet tall.





Cilantro



French Tarragon

Lavender

Spearmint, Peppermint and Applemint.

I have no idea which one is which.

Rudebeckia Goldsturm (yellow, fav flower ever!) and

pink Asters

My front porch: my English Ivy was amazing that year.

It was huge by fall.

Not pictured:

Echinacea (White), Foxglove (never again), blue Asters, Chrysanthemums, Echinops Ritro, Boltonia Snowbank, Violas, Oregano, Chamomile, Flax, Parsley, Veronica, Scabiosa, Clematis, Purple Coneflower (echinacea), Sunflowers, Snapdragon, Daisies, Heuchera, Nepeta Walker's Low (LOVE), Liatris, Gaillardia, Larkspur, Delphiniums, Solidago, Sedum Autumn Joy (Love!!), and Achillea.....

I was busy to say the least, and by late summer, the gardens were absolutely beautiful. Not only was I able to pick fresh herbs and veggies for dinner, but fresh flowers for the house. It was WONDERFUL!

Every week I kept a journal, hence the reason why I actually know what is out there.

I can be organized when I want to:

I guess I should say THANKS MOM!

Up Next: The Bad