The Time is Right, The Time is Now

Every year I vow I’m going to start a vegetable garden.  If the truth be known, my past victories have been quite limited.  My large pots on the porch seem to flourish with herbs and flowers, however, anything I have planted in the ground never seems to do very well.   You see, to have a successful garden I have discovered it takes planning. Of course I always come to this discovery when my neighbors are harvesting various vegetables on a daily basis and I can barely produce 5 or 6 a year!   This year I’m determined to change history.  It’s March, and my future flourishing garden is in progress. 

I’m on top of cloud nine because this year I have actually started plants on my windowsill to transplant into my garden when the time is optimal according to the seed packets and I am envisioning a garden that Martha Stewart would be proud of.   I have already learned that I probably should have planted the seeds at staggered times so I can enjoy my harvest on an ongoing basis instead of all at one time.  No one wants to 8 heads of broccoli on the same day.  If I hadn’t started the seeds, I probably wouldn’t have figured this out.  The good news is I still have plenty of time to implement this new discovery.   

People who have vegetable gardens make it seem so easy.  I on the other hand realize there is more to it than meets the eye.
Last year I bought a raised type box structure to put in our yard and it sits in the garage waiting to be opened.   It’s time to actually determine what part of my yard has the most sun and construct it.  Unfortunately, it will require me to dig up grass and ditch the beds by the house that have failed to produce anything year after year. Why does taking up grass and tilling the yard seem so permanent and insurmountable?  I have caught myself asking if I really needed to till?  My inner self knows that of course I should unless I want another meager crop this year.  After all, roots do grow down and need to be nourished instead of hitting hard rock clay soil.

I’m spending a considerable amount of time thinking about the upcoming week I will have at home for spring break when I can devote a full day or two to this task.  As when doing something for the first time, I’m sure this task will take longer than I imagine.  In addition to constructing the raised garden and planting, I must also develop a strategy on how I’ll keep the critters from my precious plants so this isn’t all in vain.  This can be done.  Millions of others have successfully figured out the rabbit factor.  Hopefully,  I will have come up with a successful strategy before the outdoor planting time.



My location has been decided!

 I’m off to the store for a kit to test my soil.  I have located a friend with a tiller who is graciously willing for me to borrow it.  I have decided that lettuce and spinach will do best on a large pot on my porch too high for the rabbits.  The best part of having the pots on the porch is that I can easily throw additional seeds in each week to keep the crop abundant. 

The time is right, the time is now.  I’m mentally so much further ahead of myself when it comes to planting that I believe that this time I can’t fail.  The hardest part will be planning out the space and the variety of items to grow so we have a great supply of vegetables all summer long.  My box is 84” x 42” x 8”.  Not the biggest garden but a nice size to enter to the official vegetable garden status.  If all goes as planned, my little garden should be ready to receive its starter plants by April which is the prime planting season here where I live.  So wish me luck and of course, I’m open to any tips that may help me along the way.