You'll just have to trust me. My intentional activity yesterday was planting a flower bed for my mother-in-law (her Mother's Day present). I realized when I got there that my camera was tucked in its little bag back at my house – 12 miles away. I had neither the time nor the inclination to go back and fetch it, so no before-and-after pix of the transformation from ugly dirt to beautifully landscaped.
At some point I'll take the "after" shot. I found myself really being present as I completed the project – loosening the soil, pulling weeds, adding compost, digging holes, carefully placing (and sometimes rearranging!) the plants, watering and, finally, mulching. It took two and a half hours, start to finish.
Then I came home and put 30 tomato plants in the garden.
Garden progress: Half of it is planted, but of course the strawberries and garlic were there from last fall. I haven't decided what's going to go where, but I have plenty of time. It rained a lot overnight, so I won't be planting more until it dries up. Again.
When I think about what else I want to grow, I always end up thinking of more. Corn, Italian green beans, black-eyed peas for sure. Then I start trying to remember: Do I have seeds for spaghetti squash? What about those pumpkin seeds I saved? I'd better get some eggplants from the garden center before they're gone. Do I want watermelon this year? (Yes!)
If you garden, what must you plant every year? And what new thing are you trying this year?
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We garden every year, but some years the garden is smaller and this is one of those years (we're housebuilding). So, tomatoes and peppers, always (can't buy love or homegrown tomatoes!) and garlic; most years cucumbers and beans. Flowers, always. Some years we have volunteers, such as this year's strawberries. Oh, and asparagus!
I have the brownest thumb in the history of the world, but I've been so inspired by you and a couple of other friends who've expanded their gardens in the last few years, that I'm trying my hand at a container garden this year.
My townhome has only a small patio with dirt on three sides, but I hated the hedges that have been there since I bought it, so I had a landscaper come in (I'm not nearly as motivated as you are at doing things by myself) and dig out all the shrubs and give me something more fun. On two sides of the patio I have small azalea plants and in each far corner I have knockout roses. At the back fence are two large pots that contain a tomato plant and a bunch of herbs. Today I went to the farm stand near me on my lunch hour and bought a planter of strawberries!
Fingers crossed I don't kill everything in the next week or two. I'm giving it the old college try to see what I can do.
All that rambling to say, I don't know of any must haves other than remembering my grandparents always did at least tomatoes and cukes.
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