Vegetables on My Mind

Ever since I got a copy of Martha Stewart Living in my hands as a first year med student, I had been dreaming of growing things. Hydrangeas, wisterias, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths... Then, Hubby and I went to Victoria, Vancouver, and visited the amazing Butchart Garden. It was seeing all those fantastic plants, that I wanted to give it a go, someday.

Now, let's be clear about something. I hated gardening as a child in my parents' home. My mother adores plants, and loves to plant things by just taking a leaf and sticking it in the ground. To buy plants is for dummies. I don't think she ever visited a nursery. Instead, she went to people's homes, saw something she liked, and picked a leaf/branch and grew it at home. I did not like getting my hands dirty, and I definitely did not like raking up all the leaves. As it turned out, nobody liked raking the leaves- my parents arranged to have all the leaf-shedding trees taken out. Totally not green, but you know, very efficient.

These days, I look out to the garden, and can't wait to grow all kinds of things. I want a vegetable garden, a bulb garden, I want fruit trees, fruit bushes, grape vines. If it looks pretty or if it can be eaten, I want to grow it.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, this house came with a beautiful garden, and to tear up these mature plants would not be very smart. Thus, I am looking at the space, sizing things up, looking at the sun, wondering how I can grow some big watermelons. Thankfully, the previous owners left us lots of great pots and saucers. This afternoon, while the kids ran amok, I scrubbed the ceramics, and got them ready to go. Hubby agreed that it was wise to try for a container vegetable garden before we decide to do something permanent, like moving to Central Valley.

This year, we are going to try to grow cabbages, various herbs, strawberries, watermelons, rainbow beets, carrots, beans, salad greens. We will also try to grow sweet peas, dahlias, tulips, marigolds. What we are going to try to NOT grow would be weeds, but these weeds seem to have taken up permanent residence here...

I will take pictures as we go along. I can't wait!