Saturday, March 5, 2011

Dreaming of my Garden

I love to garden. I don't have a green thumb, but that doesn't stop me. Between my clay soil, poor drainage and limited space, I'm surprised we have any vegetation whatsoever. Regardless, I still have the gardening bug. It's in the genes. 

Last year I convinced my husband that we needed raised beds to avoid the pitfalls of gardening in heavy clay. He built these. They are quite large and just what I had in mind.


Today was a beautiful day and I started imagining what my currently barren raised beds will look like in a few short months. Last year, I had trouble with the new soil and many of my vegetables didn't produce. The sugar snap peas were fabulous, but the rest of my crop was nothing less than pathetic. I found that the pH and Nitrogen levels in this new soil were not adequate. So I will start amending the soil with some organic fertilizer soon. I'm determined to be more successful this year.

E got involved to a degree last year, but I have plans to get both my girls working hard in the garden this year. Not just helping with the watering and maintenance, but with the planning and choosing which vegetables to plant. I have a feeling that growing our own vegetables could be a good way to get J to try a new food. E eats any and all vegetables and she does love to walk out our back door and eat sugar snap peas right off the vine. I'm hoping to get J to do the same. 

Other than our raised beds, I have a separate flower bed that will be full of strawberries and another section for zucchini. I also have two blueberry bushes that are already blooming.


Better get planning...

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