Monday, August 1, 2016

The Truth About Gardening

If someone had told me even five years ago that I would be planting my own vegetable garden, I would have laughed in their face. I've never had a green thumb and even the smallest of house plants, I usually end up killing somehow. But three years ago, I took a long look at the lot we own next to our house and decided it needed to be used. The previous owner of the lot had the biggest thriving vegetable garden so I knew it was possible.

That first year I had no idea what I was doing. I bought regular seed from Family Dollar down the street, and was given some starter plants from my mom and stepdad for Mother's Day.  I didn't own a single gardening tool. My stepdad was kind enough to let us use his tiller and Donnie went out to the lot and tilled about a pretty large patch of earth for me to attempt to grow a few vegetables. (I did use regular miracle grow that first year. We also had lot of pesky insects and ended up using Sevin to reduce the destruction of my plants.)

Paxton always helps in the garden

We went to Ace Hardware and picked out a garden trowel, rake, hoe, and weeder and were on our merry way. I followed the directions on the back of each package and planted my seeds. I didn't know if anything would grow that year and I had my fingers crossed that at least the starter plants would produce something since my family had bought them for me.
My father-in-law made me a special garden hoe to get those stubborn weeds up 

I won't go into all of the details that first year but I will tell you it was a plentiful one. I watered the garden daily and I weeded it every chance that I got. The vegetation was a wonderful addition to our dinners and I had such a good little crop that I was able to share with family and neighbors.

We had such a good "crop" my first year 


Year two was not as successful. We had a lot of rain and my plants rotted and failed to produce much of anything. I was lucky to have a few tomatoes and some squash. I felt a bit defeated but my neighbor Susan reminded me that every year is different and we could only hope for a better season next year. I used regular seed and I did not weed as often as I should have. I sort of gave up by August.

Which brings me to my third year of gardening and the best vegetable production yet! I bought organic seed this time and I decided not to use any chemicals on my plants. I opted for Organic Miracle Grow when I first planted my seeds but nothing has been used since their germination. I didn't use any pesticides this time and I just let nature take its course. I have to admit, this was the best thing to do, period.

Using Organic Seed vs. Standard Seed 


But the truth about gardening is that anyone can do it. Is it hard? Well, it can be. The most important things to do for a garden is to water it regularly and to weed when possible. Whether you have a small space, a raised bed in the corner of your yard, or a lot like I do, planting is possible and it's a lot of fun. There is nothing quite like picking vegetables straight from the plant and eating them at a meal.
Baby Cucumbers 2016

My best advice is to start small and see how well things go that first year. If you are able to spend the right amount of time taking care of that small patch, then you should be able to grow more things the next year. I would recommend tomato plants, green beans, and zucchini or cucumbers.

Before and After Weeding 


And what a great feeling it is to share your produce with family and friends and know where the vegetables came from. But be patient. The vegetables usually take several months to grow so do not be alarmed if you see a lot of greenery and no actual vegetables. I plant seed by the 2nd week of May and I usually don't see my first vegetable until mid June. By July, we are eating completely from our own produce unless there is a vegetable we like and I didn't plant.

So if you are considering a garden for your family, remember to take it one step at a time and one year at a time. It's good to listen to advice from other gardeners but I think trial and error really gives your gardening a personal touch. You are able to grow from your own experiences because what works for this person might not work for you. Good Luck!

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