Our Garden

 So, we've tried in the past to make a garden and failed miserably. The first year we lived here, we dug up a spot in our yard and our dog decided to dig everything up. Then, last year, I decided to try containers. We had a hanging tomato plant, which didn't hold together and fell apart. We also had a pot with lettuce seeds growing and a bell pepper plant. Well the squirrels went crazy over the lettuce seedlings and also while in the pot, bent over the bell pepper plant. So the most I've ever been able to grow is some basil and one bell pepper. I'm also just terrible at taking care of plants.

We know how much a garden would benefit us, it might save us money at some point (we'll find out), it'll be healthier for us, and we know that our lives will be blessed by following the council of Prophets and make a garden to grow our own food. So, this year we're trying again and we're going all out.

We've spent about $150, but we should be set for the rest of the year and we'll be ready for years to come as well. I already had the pots from last year with my failed container garden.

So, last Friday (4/27) Dan and I spent time putting together the garden bed. We got it from Home Depot, it was only $35 and it's a 4x4x7 cedar. No tools needed (except for some little decorative end pieces we haven't screwed in yet). We also bought these long stick things that we found hiding at Lowes. It was about $5 for 6 of them and they're maybe 6ft high.We put some nails on them in 3 places on each (top, bottom, middle) and Dan hammered them into the ground about 6 inches or more deep on the outside of our garden. Then we had bought 4ft high plastic netting (it was 25ft in length). We got this for about $20 from Lowes. It was easy, we were able to wrap it around all the sides to keep our dog out of the garden and she's hasn't gotten it it at all since then!

Then, on Saturday (4/28) we put the soil in (just some regular garden soil, it was $3.50 a bag and I think we got 13 bags, which was actually 4 too many, and we used it for the pots and the garden bed). Anyway, we planted everything in there. It was fun family time, even though we were tired from walking like 4 miles that morning (March of Dimes walk) and Dan was being rushed to go to work.

4/28 - Garden bed has everything planted in it

Phoebe watering her plant. The started growing a flower during a nursery class lesson a few weeks ago. She has hers in that painted pot there.

Another picture of the garden bed, everything planted.

We had tons of fun doing this. Here's what we've got growing:

Garden Bed: a row of sunflower seeds, a tomato plant, 2 bell pepper plant seedlings, 2 rows of yellow onions, 1 row of white onions, 1 row of red onions, 1 zuccini plant seedling, 2 cucumber plants from seeds, 2 cantaloupe plants from seeds

12in. pot: basil plant, oregano plant, dill plant, chive seeds
12in. pot: 2 strawberry plants
18in pot: pansies that didn't die from last fall (we had a very warm winter and they survived), with a rosemary plant growing in the middle of it