In our yard, some things grow in containers on the deck and a few others grow in big planters. A strawberry hanging basket provided us with delicious fruit to snack on, and after three years, a pretty good raspberry patch thrives over along the fence.
We also have a raised garden bed that measures about 4 ft by 25 ft or so and a couple feet high. Planting a combination of seeds and nursery seedlings, this year’s garden was sure to be a thriving success. Carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, lettuce and radishes; so carefully making furrows, planting seeds and watering them. I also planted a couple squash plants, a few watermelons, cantaloupe and a pumpkin from nursery plants.
After planting day, the next few days were spent chasing Isaac out of the garden. You’ll remember that he enjoyed laying in the garden before it was planted for the season. What a huge mistake on my part, I see in hindsight, allowing him do that. Flinging handfuls of soil from one end to the other also brought him great joy, though it dispersed my seeds in a very haphazard way. Brainstorming, I pounded in stakes and stapled up chicken wire, sure that the problem was solved. Apparently chicken wire doesn’t deter Isaac; it barely slowed him down. Giving a tug on the wire, out popped the staples and Isaac scrambled up into the garden to enjoy himself.
Aside from having Isaac in the garden, and the fact that now the seeds were all over in the garden, I also couldn’t weed because as things sprouted, I had no idea what was what. So, my garden became a growing mystery. I told my husband that whatever (if anything!) we get from it will simply be a bonus.
Fast forward a few months and now that things are growing pretty well, he isn’t interested in being in the garden, which is great. All the plants are thriving, weeds and vegetables alike. The plants have reached the stage where I can differentiate between them so the weeding can begin.
It’s comical to find tomato plants planted in areas where they were not planted. There is a cantaloupe plant growing over by green zucchini, quite a ways away from it’s initial planting place. I actually didn’t know what it was until just recently, comparing the plant in the wrong spot to the plant in it’s proper spot and then it’s identity became clear. Out of the three rows of carrots, only three straggly carrots survived. I can’t help but laugh. Nothing is growing where I expected it to be!
Life with Isaac is interesting and I am interested to see what will actually come from this garden. It’s a guessing in the garden game for sure!
