Fruits of My Labor

My first attempt at growing vegetables is going great so far! You would think that, having planted these things myself, I would expect to see the flowers
and fruits that are currently popping up. Not me! Every morning I walk outside and can’t believe they’re still alive. In fact, now I’m beginning to see the results of my efforts.

When I first arrived at my new home in mid-April, I was so excited to have my new garden space that I ran right out to the nearest nursery and bought yellow and acorn squash (from Berridge Nurseries in Phoenix), dug a couple of holes, and stuck them in the ground. I knew this wasn’t the best method, but hey, I was too busy unpacking to really give a garden much attention. Now I’m kind of glad I did that just because it led to a quick and valuable lesson. Your garden plainly reflects the attention it is given.

A few weeks later, with the house intact and a little more time on my hands, I resolved to go outside and get my hands dirty. I had visions of every imaginable type of vegetable in every nook and cranny of my yard and knew that they needed good ground to grow in. I started a kind of remodel of the soil, turning it and adding composted mulch (Forest Magic Mulch from Bakers Nursery in Phoenix to be exact) and removing large stones.
The plants that I plunked into a hole in the ground are no bigger than they were when I planted them six weeks ago. They may even be shrinking… seriously! In contrast, the plants that I started in the “new” ground are flourishing, growing, and producing already.
I have fixed the soil in about 50% of my beds. As I sit here writing right around midnight I wonder how I’m going to get up at 6 am again and pick up that shovel. But I can tell you with certainty that when that rattling alarm screams in my ear I’ll start longing for the tranquil, simple morning that my garden offers me in exchange for a little elbow grease.