Digging in the Dirt

Last year we did a little garden. We got lots of cilantro (which I ruined by not cutting off the flowers apparently) and some really nasty lettuce (which was the "bitter" kind I guess) some green peppers, and some melons (of which, I am not a fan.) There was suppose to be corn, but apparently the sprinklers went out and we didn't notice for a while, so the corn died (RIP.)

But This Year(!) I know more! I want more herbs, and sweet lettuce and maybe a tomato plant (gasp!) and some onions. Basically I want to grow my own curry-making garden.

I have all this huge plans in my head, but Saturdays lately have been less then nice or filled with stuff. So the last few days, after work, I've been weeding. Which, if you were to talk to my mom, was my least favorite activity as a child/teenager. Weeding is the worst, but when it's my garden, I don't know, it's different. I feel all accomplished. I like to look at the bare patches and think "I made that!" and while there is (in theory) nothing growing in there that we want, it's easy to just pull and pull and move on. No question if things are weeds, of course they are! Nothing could survive our cold winter! But I'm finding little lettuce plants and cilantro. I haven't gotten to where the peppers were, but those have got to be gone, there from a tropical zone and this is a temperate zone. But it's great, I have little baby seedlings in my window and I have to think of new ways to keep the cats off the counter so they don't knock over the containers or eat all the leaves off the baby plants. I don't think seedling can live without leaves. Stoopid cats. But I really want to plant them, to save them from the cats and to get the garden going. I have such high aspirations, but this is the way I am. I want to jump in and get my hands dirty, but gardening isn't free (those lying liars said I would save so much on groceries!) and you know how I loathe to spend money. I see how the fruit trees would cost me a kidney and I think "maybe next year I won't need a kidney, we'll wait until then." But turns out I'm always fond of my internal organs.

Ideally I would like to plant containers in the front yard, but also have containers in the back. The porch is pretty ugly, I would like it to look less so. I also want lounge chairs, from which I can relax and watch my garden grow and my child run around and eat dirt. I also want to grow strawberries, and raspberries and mint! And rosemary (which I won't use, but it's nice to smell!) But I'm sure I'll only get 1/4th way towards my vision. But that's okay, because I have 27 more years of living in this house (or more if we refinance!) and when I'm 60 it'll probably be close to what I want.