Planting Our First Garden

Honestly, I have never been a gardener, nor have I had some innate desire to work with dirt for any length of time...

It just suddenly dawned on me a few years ago, though, that my parents (who garden all their veggies each year) are not only saving loads of money but are eating healthy.  I am amazed at how God could create a plant- which creates seeds- which create more plants- which produce fruit and vegetables for our nourishment.

How awesome is that!

So...I have imagined myself to be a potential gardener, and with the help of my father's expertise, and my children's excitement, I am trying my hands at this gardening thing.

Hello summer science!


Today was really hot.  I mean HOT.  (This is typical in Alabama, you know).  But nonetheless, the kids wanted to get out and start on that garden that I never got around to last week.

So, about a week ago, my father came over to our house and helped me dig up a little (probably 3X4) patch for a garden. Our VERY first garden, and my VERY first time at anything hands-on, as far as gardening goes (unless you count that one sunflower seed NyGirl and I grew  for her kindergarten three years ago).  So it is all new to me.

He showed me a few tips and tricks.  It was all very basic instructions and simple to understand.  Yet somehow, I still don't feel confident with this gardening thing.   I just really want to try, though...and my girls are especially excited about harvesting the veggies (if they even grow!!!  Oh, I hope they do).  From what I understand, I waited a tad too late to begin planting most vegetables, like tomatoes.  I have organic seeds, but will hold on to these for next year. (Not really even sure if they will last that long?  More gardening research for me and the girls, it proves).  I will definitely have no lack of science lessons for the year.

After daddy dug up the dirt for us and prepared the soil, all I had to do is go down to the store and quickly buy some seeds and get them planted...but it took me a week to get out and go run that one important errand...and by the time we got out this morning to plant the seeds, of course -- you probably already guessed it: the dirt was washed over and hard.  So, more digging for me and the girls.

We did finally plant all rows of peas, and one row of squash.  (Since my parents already have tons of squash harvested which they are giving to us, no need for me to plant too many).  Maybe next year I'll try my hands at organic tomatoes - and maybe I'll start in the Spring instead of right in the middle of  100+ degree heat index in June.

The girls got a great lesson in the hard work of gardening.  NyGirl helped me dig (although she wasn't dressed for gardening- she had just jumped out of the kiddie pool and was wearing her cover up and flip flops).  Fun. It was great to see my girly girl getting her hands and finger nails dirty, digging in the hard, baked, rock dirt until we hit some real soil, and then covering up our newly planted seeds with fresh earth and mineral soil we purchased.

Next on our agenda- keep a watch over our little seeds and watch them sprout (or not).  Science notebooks and lots of picture taking will get us through a summer of science.