Just Grow Something!

I don't really *do* dirt. I get ticked off when my kids track it into the house, I get annoyed when its under my fingernails, and ohmigawd when it gets in my eye I could just scream. But I, for whatever reason, decided that I wanted a garden.
I needed  a garden. I've had failed planter disasters (read: "American Bulldog puppies like to dig") before, and have somehow kept a sweet mint plan alive for the past four years, but other than that, my green thumb was more brown, as they say. 

So last spring/summer, my mister man dug up a little plot for me, probably rolling his eyes every 5 minutes because he knows of my issues with commitment... But he does it for me anyway because I pack his lunch every day and he knows he'll get an unopened can of tuna and an old pear if he doesn't (we'll touch more on enabling in another post). So I got a lovely 8' x 3.5' plot to plant whatever my little heart desired. 

I planted two types of kale, two types of cucumbers, radishes, carrots, white onions, jalapeños, purple(!!!) tomatillos, serrano peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes. I had herbs, too - basil, cilantro, and mint, and lemon verbena... all in mismatched containers, of course.

The veggies flourished beautifully and we had a really great time watching our plants grow. I probably over or under watered, pruned improperly, and over-crowded my little seeds, but they still flourished and tasted awesome. And, the onions, kale, and cucumbers kept on giving well into the colder months. 

This was and still is a learning process, and these experiences have led me to believe that anyone can do this if you try, even a little bit. Even with commitment issues, lack of an attention span, a terrible memory, and a frickin' tiny little rental house back yard, all I needed was a delicious cup of coffee, some dollar-store gardening tools, and a singular sunny Saturday to get the garden ready.. Some plants die, some don't. The plants that don't try to take over the entire garden. If some do die, remember what you did (or didn't do) to prevent it from happening next year.

It doesn't have to be perfect. Heck, I think I had three or four different, mismatched planters, and my garden fencing consisted of rocks! You don't have to know everything before you do it. I sure didn't, and still don't. If gardening is something you're interested in, now is the time! You will learn how to properly water, space, and prune your plants as you research and practice. If you never take the leap, you'll never know if you would have been able to do it. And who wouldn't want to say that they could grow their own food?