Mary, Mary, quite contrary...

Garden bed bursting with goodness

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

I used to think that gardening was a complete waste of time and something old people did to pass their retirement days away. I personally thought that they were insane and their time could be spent elsewhere enjoying a sandy beach in Florida....that is what "old" retired people do, right?? They head South to enjoy the fruits of their labor? 

Cucumber Bloom

It wasn't until I got "old" that I had a desire to start my own garden. For starters, anyone that eats or cooks a lot of vegetables knows that the prices are ridiculously high and you get very little in regards to the quality and quantity. Secondly, to buy Organic vegetables you are paying 2x as much but I really don't like buying vegetables that have been soaked in pesticides or other potentially harmful substances. Call me crazy but it's something that I have really been paying attention to lately and I try to buy all natural when it comes to certain food groups. We do enough damage to our bodies without me feeding my family food that's really not that good for them.


I have found that gardening is something I really enjoy and it makes me feel productive. Not that I am not an unproductive person but when you become a housewife you feel different in that department. With a job you always see the final outcome of your hard work and when raising a family and taking care of the house it always seems "unfinished" or incomplete. With a garden it gives me a sense of pride because I have accomplished something. I started off with tiny seeds in packets, planted them, water them daily and now they are growing. Eventually they will grow into vegetables that I can feed my family and friends with; that to me is amazing and fulfilling.

Plenty of beanstalks for "Jack"

Gardening is also very therapeutic for the soul and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the extra space for a garden bed and needs a little tranquility in their life. I find it very relaxing to go out to the garden every evening to water my plants, pick the grass out of the beds and take a little time to myself. I may only be out there 5 or 10 minutes but it's still a breath of fresh air and I can let my brain rest for a second. I actually think the soil smells refreshing and who doesn't like to be surrounded by nature? 


I guess I am really showing my age but I have a new found appreciation for gardening and it brings me happiness! I won't call myself "old" until I start heading further South for the winter!! At least that is what I am going to keep telling myself to make me feel better :)

"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity."

  ~Lindley Karstens

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!