Reviving the garden..

Did I mention I have a garden? Well, if you can count weeds as a produce, I have a garden. Oh, I do have some strawberry plants, but they ain't producing anything yet.

Early in the year I was determined somewhat determined interested in having a garden. Like I am every year.

I love the thought of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and other good for my family produce, lovingly planted and raised and then expertly prepared cooked if I felt like cooking. I look through seed catalogs every new year and fall prey to the tempting pictures of red, ripe, juicy tomatoes, or mouthwatering watermelon, or cool and crisp cucumbers.

So this year we started on our little garden. As soon as it was warm enough to go outside w/o freezing and we could dig in the soil, we were out there digging in. The kids and I plotted out a spot, got some lumber to make a small frame, and with the hand tools we had dug up the weeds and broke up the sod.

My wonderful hubby even helped out by stripping the sod off a second plot for me. He worked his big muscles he developed working out (he needed an extra workout that day anyway, right?)

We got peat moss and compost, mixed it into the first plot, and planted strawberries.

Then I allowed my ADD to kick in. I got distracted by homeschooling, errands, church activities, and life. So we lost full interest in the garden, and was pushed to the back of my mind/priority list.

It wasn't like the patch was out of site. It was in plain site of the kids swing set. I saw it every day. I just kept pushing off weeding or tending to the garden.

Yes I still have bouts of laziness.

Fortunately we had an abundance of rain so the little patch never went thirsty due to my neglect.

Weeds flourished in the unfinished plot. Mint took over the strawberry patch. The unattended berry plants thrived, had a party, and made lots of little babies by runners.

It was looking like a jungle.

Did I mention I do this every year?

This past week I sat down, had a conference with myself, and we both decided that I'm going to finish what I started for once. I'm going to finish this growing season with a strong garden. And I'm not going to ignore the weeds anymore.

So Saturday I spent several hours outside enjoying a nice cool breeze in the already hot Oklahoma summer digging up the mint and the weeds in the strawberry patch. Then I took shelter in the shade and replanted the mint along the side of the house. I hope it really takes root there and choked out weeds that try to grow.

I came back after the sun had set and it cooled off a bit to thin out the runners and transplant them to where I just dug the mint from.

After several hours work. This is what it looks like now.



My hope is that the transplants will take root, and make more nice strong berry plants. But if not, they needed to be thinned out anyway. And now all the runners have been cut, I expect my original plants to start making berries. Yum!

I'm not showing you the second plot. I'm so ashamed. If there was a Plant and Garden Protective Services I would definitely be reported in if you saw this pic. But all weeds are to be evicted this week. I'm taking advantage of live in slave labor hiring my daughter for some cheap labor. I need a weed free garden and she needs spending money for summer camp. So it's a win win situation in my book!

I don't know why I'm sharing about my weedy garden. I promise I do have more interesting things going on in my life. But maybe I know deep down there is some one else like me out there. Who has a neglected garden too, and is too ashamed to admit it. We could form a sister hood. And we can tell each other we need to be ashamed no longer.

God still loves us, weedy gardens and all. And it's not to late to take the garden back!! We can do it one weed at a time. So to all the sisterhood, pick up your trowels and weeders, go on the offensive, and attack with all your might.

Till we get distracted again.