Deciding what to grow, picking and planting the seeds, nurturing them and watching them spring to life....and the final result of harvesting your own fresh veggies--well, we love it...the kids love it. It's a fun and rewarding past time in so many ways. In fact, it's more than a past time or hobby, because you reap (no pun intended) so many benefits.
In a related story...
Our home is situated so that we have a sideways 'L' shaped yard. The side yard got some attention three summers ago: a paver patio, a privacy fence, some outdoor furniture, and a small veggie garden. We haven't give much (read: any) attention to the back yard--basically since we bought our home (8 years ago).
But there's reasons for that.
The back has alot of issues: it's fairly narrow, with a hill going up to woods at the rear.
Woods + deer = ticks = YUK
It also has some pretty severe drainage issues, which lead to ALOT of standing water when we get even a modicum of rain.
Standing water = mosquitos + (dirt x dog + (kids x 4 - 1 baby) = mud) = YUK
Beyond those, there's just all the other reasons why in the past the backyard has consistently drawn the short straw...
8 years in house = ('fixer-upper' + major renovation/addition) - $$$ + 2 additional kids (swollen ankles x 18 months) - $$$ = who cares what the backyard looks like I don't even have time or energy to pee let alone look out the windows
Well, NO MORE my friends.
This year, we decided to knock down our existing raised circular garden (about an 8' diameter) and move around to the back of the house with the garden.
googiedaddy + googiemomma = more is better + irrationality² x overdoing it =
"Let's regrade a bit so the hill is steeper and we have more flat space to work with"
"Then let's put in 4 huge raised garden beds, and plant everything from asparagus to zucchini"
what we affectionately refer to as "the back four(ty)"
"And then let's build our children a playhouse. But a huge one. And let's raise it 5 1/2 feet off the ground, so it will be cooler. And more complicated. Oh, and let's try to do it in three days."
Start:
End of day 1:
End of day 2:
The end of day 3 was brought to an untimely conclusion by the arrival of a thunderstorm. So the house is not quite finished, and I didn't get a picture. But it's looking cool, and the kids are dying to get in and play.
So, to sum up:
4 huge gardens + one giant playhouse = one very negligent blogger + multiple bruises x sore muscles²
"And then let's build our children a playhouse. But a huge one. And let's raise it 5 1/2 feet off the ground, so it will be cooler. And more complicated."
ReplyDeletesounds familiar! too funny. i really like the idea of raised beds for gardening. i'm toying with this idea for this year ahead, we have a slanty slope thing going on too and this might work out. but i just don't know for sure.
what are you planting this year? out of curiosity? or are you just not, being eleventy-four weeks pregnant and such?