Reap the Seeds We Sow: Our Garden Project

Last month, my husband, Jay, impulsively decided we should do an experiment. Gardening. Although he once attempted gardening before---it failed miserably, by the way---it was long before we were together. The plan is to see how successfully we manage to grow our crops, and then plan ahead and maximize a garden next year.

We settled on growing soybeans, two types of snap peas, yellow wax beans, zucchini, three types of kale, chard, green onions, strawberries, roma tomatoes, red and yellow varieties of cherry tomatoes, and a variety of lettuce. For herbs, I also decided we'd raise some cilantro, dill, rosemary, and Italian basil. Quite generous for a starter garden, I think! We also have a healthy raspberry bush that's been growing for years, although it's dwindled in the last few years from our chocolate lab, Copper, insisting on running through it.

In the interest of being as natural, healthy, and earth-friendly as possible, almost all of our crops are organic! The only ones that are not organic are the roma tomato and strawberry plants, which we purchased them as young plants since we are starting so late in the year. And the soybeans and both types of snap peas, which we couldn't find organic anywhere.

Both of us were a little doubtful about what the success of our garden would be. Especially considering how late in the year we started (the weekend before Easter). Much to our surprise, far more seeds have sprouted and have begun to grow than we anticipated.

About half of the zucchini plants didn't make it, they simply never sprouted at all. But everything else has either sprouted as expected, or even more than we ever could have hoped for. We're hoping it provides us with a good portion of our food staples for the summer. I will keep you updated on the garden's progress!

Do you have a garden? If you don't, would you ever consider it? Why or why not? Would love to hear what others think about gardening!