Garden Activity

When you see a beautiful - or bountiful garden - do you ever think ‘how do they do that'? I have many times, and wondered if I could do that as well, or at least on a smaller scale. Since I've moved to Gunter (that would be almost 2 years now) I've thought about creating a garden. I've thought a long time about where I would put it, but more importantly, how would I go about it successfully? Could it be a large one with many plants that would give me all the food I need to eat? No, I don't really know "how" to do that, yet I've dreamt about it. I would need to start with a small garden, and work up from there. I could envision my just-right garden, and I would place that scene in different places around the farm and evaluate if that would be "the right spot" for my garden that I've imagined for a long time. Then as time went by, "that spot" I picked would be used for other things, or the grass was so green and lush there I could not possibly dig it up. Or a myriad of other reason that don't make sense, so a garden was never created. I simply continued to dream about it.
I was always noticing other people's gardens, and how they did things. In Colorado, when we would visit Lauren there, there were many gardens in the areas I ran or walked by. Surprising for such a cold climate, but really, a garden can be anywhere. I could tell I was getting closer to committing myself to it. But first, I would need to educate myself a little more in regards to starting one, and how to keep it going. I mentioned it to Lauren, and she checked out a couple of books from the library for me (since she is a librarian, it seemed fitting). The first book spoke about "companion gardening". It would explain that different plants planted close to each other would contribute to the soil viability, assist each other in their growth, and help repel insects from one another. That is an intriguing and fascinating aspect I had not considered. The other book was a week-by-week handbook to assist me in the creation of the garden and when to plant what. I needed that information, and combed through it in order to create a garden so that much of the initial work would eliminate extra work later on down the line. As easy as it would be to throw a garden together, I decided I would try to play by the (garden) rules and do as the experts would recommend. My thumb is not all that green, so it's in my best interest to listen, read and learn about how to do this.
It was during this period of time that I mentioned to David that I would like a garden bed. A real bed to place out in the designated area and hold my garden. It's a perfect scenario for me because it's a rectangle, and is just the right size to hold my first attempt at gardening. So one day, David brought home a metal twin size bed frame that would become the base for a garden. The headboard and footboard were both of a swirly metal design that could also be used for climbing plants, maybe even my tomatoes. David worked hard to put it together, along with a wood frame that would hold the dirt and plants in. He created a beautiful shell for me to begin my work of tilling the soil and taking the grass out.
Now with my bed in place, I was ready to put to use all the words I had read. It was odd having a bed frame in your yard, outside of your house. We strategically placed it so that it was behind/on the side of the house whereby it would get lots of sun, and not everyone might see it right away. It was in a place whereby I could garden quietly, away from the animals who might dig or eat it. It would be my Secret Garden. The gardening book had suggested you size your first garden by the amount of space you are willing to initially till by hand. That way, you are more likely to be able to handle the future needs of your garden. The twin bed frame David picked was perfect! I dug out all the grass inside the frame, and tilled it by hand. I desired not to do anymore than that size, as it was more work than I realized. Gardening is not for the weary, it's real work.
After I dug it out, my canvas of a blank rectangle was ready. Abiding by my new gardening book guidelines, I lined my bed with netting to keep out the things I don't want (weeds, grass, etc), and keep in the things I do want (my dirt, etc). I have a handy-dandy staple gun that I use for everything, and it worked perfectly to staple the netting to the border of the wood frame. Nice. Now, this magical book suggested I put down small gravel rocks or mulch as a bottom layer before you put in the dirt for drainage purpose, as well as a deterrent for weeds and such. You can cut small X's or poke small holes in the netting if you want, to allow for roots or worms/bugs to come and go. So I did small holes. Then, I spread the mulch down on top of the netting. Now, the dirt was next. I had bought 5 or 6 bags of dirt (2 cubic feet/bag) and it filled the bed nicely. It looked so pretty. But the chickens thought so too. Oh dear, I need a fence, and we have portable fencing around, so I quickly set that up. Much better, as between the dogs wanting to dig in the fresh dirt, the cats wanting to potty in it and the chickens wanting to scratch around in it, the fence truly is a necessity. Luckily, David and I have fencing around that we use to set up (intermittently) for farm animal purposes, and usually have extra pieces around.
The initial work of getting this part done was rewarding, because now I'm ready to plant something. This is where it got a little overwhelming. Do I plant fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers? I decided my first garden would include vegetables. I'll start with that, and see how I do. Since I did not sow my seedlings, I choose to buy the plants that are already sprouted and ready to be planted. Easy enough, as I had made a list of what might be 1) hearty, 2) easy, 3) readily available, and 4) most likely to live despite what I might (or might not) do. I choose tomatoes, leaf lettuce, zucchini, broccoli, mild jalapeños, red bell peppers and banana peppers. I heard peppers are relatively prolific, and I would likely eat them, too. That's a big part of all of this. I wanted to plant things I would eat, and hopefully can figure out the timing of it all, so I have produce available throughout the year. Planting the proper vegetable at the right time is key. This is a learn-as-I go kind of thing, and I have a huge learning curve to climb. Thankfully, I'm starting with a small garden and can use different seasons to try out different plants. Crop rotation is a thing, I hear, so I'll be figuring that out as I go as well.
As I spoke with others around me (at work, friends) I readily hear how people desire to have a garden. And most people like myself think about it, but never create one. That was me, too. It is a commitment, so I understand the thought process behind it. Besides the initial work of setting it up properly, my biggest fear was failure to thrive. Brene Brown, my most favorite author/researcher says, "Failure can become our most powerful path to learning if we're willing to choose courage over comfort." David reminded me of this quote recently. It's so true. Embracing failure is no easy task, avoiding it is. Something as simple as creating and maintaining a garden is a good example for me, in regards to possible failure. Would I sustain it? Would I know how much water it needs, and did I plant it in the correct soil with a pH needed to allow my plants to thrive? It was good for me to face my fear, and have some self-compassion for myself that it would all be okay, no matter what. I don't know much about planting, growing and the needs to support plant life. I know the very basics, but I can't assume that's enough for a real garden. Now that I have completed this process, I wait. I water, and I watch. The fence is doing it's job, and the garden is safe. For now, as it may attract other undesirable creatures when produce really starts growing (I hope). There's so many unknowns, and I love that. I love the learning that will occur, and I love hearing other people's tips and tricks.
All the while, I couldn't help but reflect on the gardens I saw in Colorado. Every one had something I wanted. Fairy doors. Yes, it's true, I love Fairy Doors. And now, I have the perfect opportunity to put a couple of them out, on the outside of my garden frame bed. I picked a round hobbit-style one and a regular wooden-looking garden fairy door and strategically placed them so that they would "open" into my garden through the wooden base around it. The 10 year old inside of me still exists, and sneaks out every now and then to play.
Another necessity was the need to label my plants in the garden. I chose to do this inexpensively by purchasing short wooden stakes and spray paint them to add a little sparkle to my garden. I picked bright pink, another 10 year old decision. After they dried, I wrote (with a black sharpie) the name of each plant on a stake, and placed them in my garden so I will know which plants are which.
Now, I wait. After a few days, I can already tell the outcome will not be 100%. A few plants are looking a little peak-id, like maybe I watered them too much or they don't like the wind. Something that's not making them happy, but yet I don't know how to fix it or if I can. Maybe they need time to adjust to their new environment. Yeah, that's it. They just need time.
As spring is upon us, the grass (and weeds) are growing making the pasture so very green again. Our sheep are loving their new grazing options, and "ask" for grain less often. Mama and Papa donkey are enjoying the fresh grass as well, and act like lovebirds. They adore each other. The dogs love laying in the cool grass, and the chickens are eating every bug they can find. Everyone is busy doing their spring thing. The purple martins are starting to show up, and their nesting boxes up by the pond have been cleaned out and are ready for a new season (thank you, David!). We noticed an addition of a new duck on the pond, and the killdeer birds are looking for their potential egg-laying spots along the gravel road. How those eggs ever survive is something I still marvel over. These birds seem to do more running than flying, and are fun to watch how they try to deter you from their nest/eggs. Since my parents are "birders", it seems I must have some genetic component as well.

UPDATE: I had blogged about Baby (Pickles) new family/new home a few weeks ago. This past Sunday, I received a text from Donna (adoptive mom) saying that Baby was doing great! He's adjusting just fine, and they love and adore him. They sent me a picture of him, and he looks so independent and strong on his own. He's in charge of not only protecting a particular area (instinctual) but he's also a companion for those horses he's with. My heart is so happy that he can be his authentic self and live his best life. There's nothing better than that! He has so much potential, and it's wonderful to know he's doing so well.

Here's to longer daylight hours which equates to more eggs,
Cyndi