This is the first year my husband and I have ever had our own garden. Its not big,grand,or even neatly planted. We had our helpers,our boys,down there with us the day we put cheap dollar store seeds in the dirt. Seems like the praying I did when when we planted is paying off. So far that is! Everything we planted from seeds has sprouted up! There are english peas,squash,cucumbers,watermellon,lettuce,beets,and carrots down under our hill.
Not to over excite myself,I dont check it everyday,thinking that a watched pot never boils,well,a watched garden wont grow. Now,though,since everything has sprouted and actually turned into plants,Im thinking of checking every other day. I say this beacause 3 days ago,I was working in it,planting tomato's. I talked to the little
plants in an attempt to coax veggies out of them. As I was headed back up I noticed something in the twilight. Low and behold a BLOOM! A bloom on the cucumber vine! The peas had already been blooming,and yes,happy dancing commenced. Well,yesterday,Caleb,4,and I walked down there to check on the replanted tomato's. There were over a dozen yellow blooms on all the cucumber plants!!! I was on the phone with my Step Mother,and she could hear the giddines in my voice! It was like a suprise from God! Then Caleb and I watered everything,as its been super dry and hot here. Then as we were watering,I noticed PODS on the pea vines!!! Little green pods,still with drying blooms attached to the end of them!!! I was giggling happy! I popped one off,and opened it up,and Caleb and I ate a fresh green pea,there on the spot. I think my happiness was contagious! He too was jumping up and down,and said he had never eaten a pea that was SO yummy before! Made me proud,to be sure.....But, there is a battle going on down the hill. Me against the tomato's! Me against Nature,and varmits,and the like!!! Last Sunday,I began to plant my 20 odd tomato plants. We bought plants,vs starting seeds with the tomato's. I dug a bunch of little holes,added some homemade fertilzer made with coffee grounds and crushed up egg shells. {I read somewhere that tomato's like acid,and coffee is acid}. I didnt dig very big holes,nor plant them very deep. Last Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far,and I got over heated! I planted half of them,and came in to cool off. I was sweating out every cell of my body! I was panting like a dog who had won at the track, I was HOT! So I drank 2 glasses of water,and resigned myself to have a go at it one more time,b/c I still had 9 tomato plants to get in the dirt! Well,I got 6 in the ground before I began to feel bile rising up in my throat! I staggered,literally!, up the hill and into the house. I felt miserable,and then the vomitting began! I have NEVER gotten so over heated,to the point of puking in my life! Im the one who hates days below 70 degree's here,and Its 80 now,and Im drinking coffee! Well,I didnt go back outside after that,for about 2 days. I felt awful. But I knew the plants needed watering,and I wanted to check on them.
I get down the hill,and noticed something very wrong! ALL,save one,plant had been DUG UP,by some varmit!!! I was so mad! I began spewing profanity,and threw me a good ole hissy fit,right there!!! Then,I called my MIL. I asked if it was too late to replant tomato's and proceded in good Redneck fashion to explain to her what happend to my plants! The very ones that almost caused a heat stroke! She was confused at first,she told me in all her years of gardening nothing had ever come along and DUG up tomato's. Maybe eating them off the vine,sure,but not digging them up. I thought to my self, well,if it can,it will,go wrong. So she told me not to go out and buy more plants. She and Nanny {my GM.IL} had plenty extra,from a seed pack Nanny had begun in her living room. So Caleb and I run over there to get said plants. MIL and GMIL were working in the big garden. So I offered a hand,thinking I could learn something! Well,I sure did. I learned that I had gone about my tomato's totally WRONG!!! They too were needing more planted. So they dug holes,and I began placing the small shoots of plants. The holes they dug were massive! I was confused. I asked how deep the shoots need to be planted. MIL told me to the bottom,of the bottom leaves. That ment 6 or more inches of the plants would be in the dirt. HMMM,I thought. I had only scraped away enough dirt to fit the starter dirt in the hole. With all the seeds we had planted,you just had to sow them 1/2 and inch or 1/4 inch deep. basically putting them on the ground and covering with loose soil. Except the cucumbers and squash.You have to make a small hill,but you plant them similar in the top of the mound. Ok,Lesson learned. I was proud that I got to help them,and happy to learn something new!
We get home,about dark,and I commenced to digging holes,and setting my new {free} plants in the dirt. I dug em deep and firmly packed soil around the small plants. I think it was about a dozen. But didnt water them.My waterhose is not long enough to reach that far,and I didnt know where another section of hose was. So the next evening,Thursday,Josh found the hose,and watered. Last night during all my glee,I did have some blahness too. The new plants,except maybe 3 had shrivled up! I had done what I was supposed to,dug em deep,didnt put any homemade fertilzer in the holes,ALL of that! But last evening it looked like only 2,of the new ones,were going to thrive. So now that gives me only 3 tomato plants! I plan to give them some fertileizer before I head south today. Say a prayer and do a dance! The one big plant I have,Im excited about. Its called a Cherokee Tomato. Its flesh is purpley,and red. The little card that came in the small plant holder said that this particular strain is indegenous to TN,and first cultivated by Cherokee Indians. Maybe thats why its thriving. I dont know. All I do know is, I may only have 3 tomato plants worth a dern! But I wont let it get me down! Oh no! I will pick up 4 more plants,and pray I get enough tomato's to can some. Canned tomato's are something I pick up almost every grocery trip. They can be used in so many ways,esp for those like my family,who love them.
This may sound silly,but I dont care if it does. I'm very proud of our garden,thus far. The herbs are doing well. Well,the dill,cilantro,and basil are. Everything else got flooded. I intend to plant more parsley seeds,and maybe a sage and thyme plant. I can live without rosemary. But I love thyme. I've read that cilantro is persnickity to grow. I've had no trouble.
When I saw all the cucumber blooms and seedlings I had planted to have more,I thanked God then and there! HE knows we need our garden. My Dr. has been begging me to find something to DO,that relaxes me. SUggesting yoga,mediation,prayer. Well,I pray,but I have found pulling weeds super theraputic! And its a work out too. There are many weeds still in our garden patch,but Im proud of my family and the genuine effort we have put forth,thus far to help sustain us,and learn. I try to find soemthing to teach my kids,and myself every day. Well this has surely been and will be a learning experience! Plus,in the trying times around us,with the price of food rising,maybe this will help my little family along. And in learning how to garden,and grow things,I can in turn teach my kids how to self sustatin as well. We are all in a circle of life,so to speak. My foremothers HAD to garden to feed their families. I happen to GET to. Maybe they were giddy too over cucumber blooms!
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