The beginings

My family had a garden once. We all picked a favorite veggie- mine was a grocery store-esk radish. It was my job to tend my little row. I got two buckets of radishes that year. I didn't eat another for about 10 years.


Two years ago I planted a simple row garden. I had five rows of lettuce, which bolted shortly after they grew. I suppose i shouldn't have planted them in July. I did get a handful of scallions and a pathetic bunch of carrots, no thicker than a pencil. I can be very impatient.


Last year, my sweet mother-in-law took me to a book store. There in the midst of a hodge podge of discounted books, lay one squat fat book called "Grow Vegetables"

I've dubbed it my "idot guide." I refrence it all the time now. I decided to tackle square foot gardening. I built frames and begged my sweet hubby to tier the side yard for me. I LOVE my hubby. I tell him i'm going to be a farmer one day and he laughs and says "dear" in a way that sound like he's speaking bemusedly to a child. But he builds me things and fixes my mistakes. So he built up the garden for me.

I tried to build myself a garden bench next to a wysteria that I planted. When I asked my husband if he could knock over and old pipe so it would fit, in that patronizing voice, he told me that breaking our oil pipes to fit my garden bench was probably not the best of ideas. He helped me cut it down a half a foot and anchored an old mantle i had gotten for it. I tell you, that man loves me.

Giddy with excitment, I jumped into square foot gardening with full force, even though I'd had such a paltry showing the year before. I went from lettuce, scallions and carrots to heirloom cucumbers,

 cabbages, kale, radishes, tomatoes of all kinds, squashes,

 grapes, beets, peppers and melons.

Last year I still had a few major "fails". I planted my butternut squash way to early and they stayed supper small, even though they were still delicious. I tried for a spring red cabbage crop but didn't get a quick enough jump start on them. They never really grew very large at all.

I learned to thin out plants, as sad and depressing as it can be. To me, it's like deciding which child you love more. But I did learn to never never give up on a plant! Some are hardier than they appear. A grape vine waited all summer long to get a small cluster of leaves, and he's well behind his brothers, but I expect great things from him.

I had so much fun trying to preserve the foods that came from my garden this past year. I made lemon cucumber pickles and canned them. (Another new and fun experience)

and I made my very first batch of kale chips with the kale from my garden. I had never had a kale chip before and I've become hoplessly addicted. I sprinkle mine with just a bit of sea salt and parmesan cheese. They never are much to look at, but Yum!

My kitchen has become an exciting play space. If you've never had snap peas fresh off the plant, you've never had a good snap pea. I once sat on the little wooden retaining wall my hubby built for me on the side of my garden and proceeded to eat each and every one off of that shrub. My poor husband. Sometimes he doesn't get to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

This year, because he loves me so much, he doubled the size of my garden for me. I've invaded the space that was supposed to be a water feature with waterfalls and pools and lush plants. I had begged for that too. I can't wait to see what happens this coming year.

Happy New Year, 2012!