Diggin' in the Dirt

I have spent the last few days digging in the dirt and preparing raised beds for our garden this summer. I am not really sure what I am getting into because I have never had a garden of my own and never even helped prepare, maintain or harvest a garden. Maybe I was on drugs when I came up with this brilliant idea?!? 


For the past couple of years I have mentioned to Mike that we should do our own vegetables in a garden but it was never the right place or the right time. You have to have the extra space to build a raised bed and when we lived in Jacksonville, NC the house there wasn't ours and I didn't want to pour money into something that we didn't own. I know that probably sounds really cheap but it didn't seem like the smart thing to do. We also really haven't had the time to devote to a real garden because of Brody. He is finally getting to the age where he can hang out and help -- Thank God! 


When we bought this house several weeks ago Mike agreed that building a few raised beds would be alright because we had a large enough yard that we could do it and not miss the space it would take up. I don't think we knew what we were getting into because it's been a weekend process and we haven't even planted all of the seeds yet and we still have one bed to build. I have a ton of seedlings that I started in the greenhouse trays that will need to be transplanted in a few weeks and I have already used the other 2 beds for other seeds that had to be sowed directly into the earth. Mike will need to build one more bed (maybe two) so all of those seedlings can be planted in the next two weeks.


I also bought hybrid plants and have a couple of those planted. Thankfully those should grow nicely in their pots and I won't have to do anything with them but water and pick the veggies off of them! Maybe I should have bought plants for the raised beds instead of starting off with seedlings??? I will make a mental note on that and store for next year.


Gardening is something I never thought I would do in a million years. I don't like getting hot, dirty, sweaty and I don't like bugs. All of that goes along with gardening so I not sure if I am channeling my grandmothers or something on this whole issue. I do like to see things grow from a tiny little seed into a large vibrant vegetable. It's kind of like a little wonder in a sense....I mean in all honesty how does a itty bitty seed turn into a large vegetable with only soil and water? Another one of God's amazing mysterious ways, I guess. Both of my grandmothers and my great-grandparents were Green Thumbs so maybe I picked up the gene somewhere along the way and it's just now making it's debut.


I also don't even know what I am going to do with all of the fruits, herbs and vegetables that I have growing because some of them I don't even LIKE. I honestly can not stand tomatoes but being in the South you grow tomatoes no matter what -- it's a given. At least Mike, Victoria and the Blake family can use the tomatoes if they decide to grow. I am also not very big on spicy and hot things so the only reason I planted peppers was for Mike and his love for them. 

So, if you are ever around the Southwest Georgia area and feel like you need fresh produce stop on by the

 "Beemer Farmer's Market" 

because I will have it coming out of my ears. We are hoping for the following this season:

Supersweet Hybrid Mini Tomatoes, Green Beans, California Wonder Bell Peppers, Squash, Carrots, Big Dipper Sweet Peppers, Roma Tomatoes, Sweet Basil, Cilantro, Sweet Salad Mix, Brussels Sprouts, Oregano, Hybrid Cucumbers, Garlic, Jalapenos, Chili Peppers and Heirloom Tomatoes!