Wednesday, March 25, 2009

A New Venture

We will soon have a new project underway that we will share with all of our bloggy friends and readers. It will take some time to grow and develop and we will do our best to capture each milestone, each moment. It's something we've never imagined we would do or have. We assumed we were happy with things the way they are. But this new venture is surprisingly exciting. It will take patience, hard work, attention, and more patience. We may exhaust ourselves while we wait for the end result. For the first time in our history, Jeff and I (and Teagan and Zach) are adding to our family, to our home, in a way we hadn't planned. A vegetable garden. I do not have a green thumb. I tend to kill anything that grows in dirt. I'm great with people and animals. But plants... I'm cursed. When I got my first apartment, my grandma gave me a plant that she swore I wouldn't be able to kill. She'd had it and off shoots of it for decades. It had survived moves and various climates and been forgotten and overly remembered. But it thrived. Until it reached my hands and I managed to let it get infested with spider mites or something. Niiiiice. So we don't have plants or flowers, really. A nice lilac bush that I planted and that has been coming back each year. A rose bush that came with the house and flowers twice a year. I bought 2 new rose bushes to plant out front this year. And even some seeds to plant in the next few weeks. Columbine and something else. We'll see what happens. But Jeff has a plan to create a raised bed in the backyard. And we've purchased seeds and the things need to start the seeds. Jeff is talking to a farming friend and reading up on how to start seeds and create a garden. If all goes well, we will have carrots, cucumbers, onion, peppers. My mom has already started tomato plants for Teagan that will get planted up here. We practically have our own salad! Or it all fails miserably and we learn a lesson to stick with grocery stores and farmer's markets. I'll keep you posted.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not nice Liz.....a baby brother or sister for T&Z would be way better than a head of lettuce LOL

I'm going to share my new vegetable and herb growing experiences with you - but let me tell you one thing first: YOU CAN GROW!!! I am a black thumb - like you I kill anything in sight. I even killed a cactus from overwatering it. I am plant pathetic. However, I bought the Mr. an indoor greenhouse for Christmas and it has become my pet project as it turns out. I really bought it to grow fresh herbs in the winter and to do my annual flower seedlings, but it has turned into an herb, tomato and lettuce garden. It's hard to believe what you can grow under lights and then plant and sit in a sunny window and never take outside. I can't imagine what a real live outdoor vegetable garden will be like. All I do know is that sunshine, water and warm temps will grow you anything you want! I look forward to your daily veggie updates!

Lynette3boys said...

I love how ambitious you are. Some day I hope to be as brave as you, but until then I am sticking to the grocery store and farmers market. Best of luck Liz!

Mary Ellen said...

You go, garden girl! You're gonna do great, and you'll love the fresh produce. There's nothing like picking your own salad minutes before dinner.

The Courteous Chihuahua said...

I, too, have no gardening abilities. The extent of my ambition this year was to buy one of those newfangled Topsy Turvy tomato plants. I did see the lilac bush we planted last year is trying to bud, and that's pretty exciting. I'll have to cover it this weekend to protect it from the cold snap that's coming.

mimbles said...

Exciting stuff Liz! Good luck :)

We have a veggie patch in the backyard...it's been full of weeds for years :P Every so often my gardeners weed and mulch it just so it looks a bit tidier lol

(Adam and I gave up pretending we were ever going to anything useful in the yard a long time ago.)

Amy said...

I've been wanting to do the same thing! Is it time to start planting?

Unknown said...

Take plenty of pictures. We tend to take fewer and fewer with each new "addition" to our family.

:-)

Boozy Tooth said...

Liz, I'm so proud of you! A garden is a huge undertaking, but it will be so rewarding if all goes well. Like you, I was born with two black thumbs and kill everything. The only plants I own are artificial - but - I did buy some starter herb plants that I repotted and they are doing well (for now). I got so encouraged that I bought more herb seeds and started them. They have all sprouted - some more vigorously than others - but they are live! Now I have to figure out what to do with the seedlings. They are so small and delicate, I'm not entirely sure when they are ready to be separated and re-planted. I guess I'll just have to give it a shot and see what happens. Can't wait to compare notes.

I wish you well on your garden. It will be a wonderful experience for you, Jeff and the kids. Enjoy!

Isabella said...

Many, many good luck wishes! I am very much like you in the plant-growing department...no luck whatsoever. I'd love to start a small herb and/or vegetable garden this year, but we have a bunny living under our deck that loves to eat anything green (our tulips are always the first victims). And I can't do indoor growing as we don't have the space.

I just hate paying $2.50 for a small handful of basil in the grocery store. Ugh.

Alison said...

Good for you, Liz! You have heard the call--and it's so important for kids to know where their food comes from. Two words of advice: plants grow much better in the ground than in pots. And, if you plant easy stuff, just don't get in their way, and they will grow (provided you don't let them dry out too much.) Oh, and a third word--things like cucumers, peas and green leafy things like cooler weather, so get them in early.

Please ask me if you have any questions! I introduced Miss Chef to gardening, and will happily shepherd another convert through the early stages.