Inch by Inch

Those of you that have been following our garden adventures know that we are pretty new to gardening. Coming from having a concrete yard to lots of lush ground for planting– we have a lot to learn. In the past few months we have collectively designed and built a couple of raised beds and had a water line laid so that we can water the soon-to-be garden.

Before we started the garden adventure we purchased some starter plants at a gardening store so that we would have some plants to put in our new garden when the time came. Since we built our garden late in the season, growing from seed was simply not an option.

While the raised beds were being created and the water line was being placed, we had all of these lovely plants hanging around the patio. They were transplanted from the plastic containers they were sold in, to some bigger pots in the time in-between.

Each day as a part of our homeschooling lessons the kids had the chance to see the plants, water them and examine what was growing. We have some tomatoes, green peppers, dill, basil, some seriously adorable eggplants and some celery. Now the time has come to plant them into the garden and let them get bigger and hopefully harvest them!

Planting them was fairly easy but we were concerned about the critters that could eat our prized tomatoes. So, my Dad designed, with the help of YouTube, a PVC guard around the plants with some wire/netting to go around the plants and keep them safe from all the little bunnies, sweet deer and evil gophers that live on.

There is something really exciting about putting your hands in the dirt, watching something grow, and knowing that you helped facilitate that process. With all the challenges that 2020 has brought, and all the technology needed to keep it going, it is wonderful to have this simpler dynamic added to the mix. It harkens back to a simpler time and reminds me and my family to take time to breathe in the fresh air, enjoy being outside, relish in nature and take time to smell the roses.