Adventures in Gardening

 

 

Last summer, a fellow daycare parent shared some of the produce from her garden, and the green beans especially were so fresh and flavorful.  Even Eli enjoyed eating them, which is usually something he would refuse to eat.  This kind of sparked my interest in starting our own garden.  Plus, I thought it might be a neat little learning experience for Eli.  

On the day I was taking pictures, Eli wanted to snap a few himself.  I kind of like the angle on the second one...

 

 

When I first mentioned that I was planning on having a garden this year, I was warned by lots of people it is a lot of work in the heat of the summer.  I remember thinking to myself, how hard could it be, really.  Well, I quickly learned they were right.  I totally underestimated the weeds for one thing. 

I began by using a seed starting container and soil for seedlings to grow inside before transplanting them outside.  I did this with the cherry tomatoes and seeds for flowers.  With the rest of the vegetable and fruit seeds, I used the direct sow method right into the ground.  As for the ones in the seed starting container, I was surprised they all sprouted quite quickly.  I knew I had too many seeds too close together in each container, but I didn't realize how many each seed packet contained and how tiny they were!  Then, after I tucked them all into the soil, I ended up flooding them with water without really meaning too.  I later learned all they really need at that stage is a sprinkle every now and then.  I also learned you are also supposed to leave the soil loose and not pat it down after planting the seeds so they can grow through it easily when they begin to sprout.  As for the flowers that I started from seeds, I did not have the patience needed to transplant them all once they sprouted, so none of them survived.  I don't think their roots were strong enough anyway since they were planted so closely together. 

I found I have better luck with planting bulb flowers, such as my favorites, lilies - the stargazer and calla variety, along with dahlias.  I always wondered why people choose to plant annuals every year instead of planting perennials that only need to be planted once, but it seems like annuals bloom all summer long while flowering perennials only bloom for a short time.  I find the best maintenance-free plants are perennials like hostas.  I love the way they look, and they are quite hardy. 

I'm not sure of the name of this plant, but it is a perennial that came back again this year after first being planted last year.

Dahlias - I moved the flowers inside after the plant itself toppled over after a heavy rain.

 

If you look closely on the leaf, you will find Eli's new little pet - one of a few caterpillars that made their way inside on the leaves.

Stargazer lilies - my favorite!  I also planted calla lilies, but they have yet to bloom. 

As for the garden plot, Ian's dad helped me out to begin with by tilling up the dirt.  My dad even got in on the action by weeding it when my parents came down to watch Eli one day.  I wish I had a picture after he was done with it because that was the best it ever looked - like a real garden!  When it came time to plant the seeds initially, again, I did not realize how many TINY seeds were in those packets!  Who really has the patience it takes to follow such precise directions; spacing them apart so many inches in groups of a certain number, planting at a certain depth.  It was a miracle anything grew at all with the way I planted, but several of each type of plant actually grew!  I drenched them all in water after they were freshly sown.  I thought for sure they probably got washed away.  A nice rain shower seems to be most beneficial.  I also learned plants should be watered in the early morning or end of day and not in direct sunlight so the plants do not get scorched. 

Another thing I learned is I maybe should have started a bit smaller, focusing on only a few different types of plants and space them apart more.  Only one of the cherry tomato plants I transplanted survived.  I was really questioning whether it was a weed for the longest time since that is what it appeared to be until the tiny buds of tomatoes started growing.  I also planted cucumbers (which I later realized grew on vines...who knew?!), cantaloupe, watermelon, lettuce, green beans, pumpkins, and a row of sunflowers along the back edge.  I had the best luck with the cucumbers, which were the most plentiful out of all the produce.  Ian sliced them into spears and concocted a special mixture on his own to soak them in, and they became very tasty pickles. 

 

Emerging cherry tomatoes

 

 

 

 

   

 

  Pointing out the baby watermelon

 

Green beans

 

A helpful tip regarding weeds came from a relative; using grass clippings on the dirt around the plants acts as a natural form of weed control by keeping out the weeds and keeping moisture in.  We tried this after Ian mowed one night, and it really did seem to help in some areas that were kept weed-free. 

One thing I found out I am an expert at growing - weeds!  Seriously, how can something grow so quickly?  Eventually, I realized there was no way I was going to keep up with them, so the weeds began to take over.  Ironically, even the mass readings one weekend this summer related to weeds:

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

Weeds can also be a metaphor for life representing those things that can quickly get out of control or take over if we let them, crowding out the good things we should be focused on instead, much like the plants or flowers in a garden.  We cannot enjoy the true beauty of life without weeding out the negatives. 

While the garden was quite the learning experience while it lasted this summer, I think I am going to focus my efforts next year more on the landscaping around our house.