Finally collected up some homegrown lettuce - salads abound! - and herbs tonight from the two, small garden beds we have in the backyard. Last year at this time, we had been in the house around a month, and we were gearing up for a week in NE where M and I call home to see family for a week. The garden then, as it unfortunately is now, was slightly slimmer pickin's than I intended; fortunately last year I had the lovely excuse of being a new homeowner and 7-month-along pregnant woman to not let it get to me. This year, the excuses rise from a 6-day week schedule, and, well, you know what I might say - no excuse! Let me just be gleeful that I harvested something tonight that will be a delicious accompaniment to some meals in the coming weeks. There is still much of a summer/fall to grow other yummies, and other years ahead to plot and plan more accordingly. Next year, even the lil' Elle bean can help rake and sow.
Without falling privy to the negative comparison of, and rather rise to the aspiration of my grandmothers and own mother - and quite frankly, my sisters and friends - I do intend on growing goods at my home for years to come. The food plants and vegetables seem more intuitive to me. Create dirt base, plant seed, wait and eat. The perennials, annuals, shade-forgiving, and sun-fearing attention to detail is less up my alley or intrigue right now. The seller of our house did us much good by taking care of overall landscape with low-maintenance nourishings. Hostas, rhododendron, daylilies, rose bush, etc...plants that even Mike and I would need more skill than not to harm their survival. And yet, I learn each year and each season the tricks that can help. Trimming plants down to keep them in line as the spring wears on, instead of waiting until the fall to contour them. Watering enough, but knowing that Mother Nature has her own special pours on hand. When in doubt, call your mom and ask :)
What's more, is the feeling of growing vegetables with the simple joy of doing it, and by happenstance reaping the benefits of good eats which economically are a good fit. Mike and I are in constant - aware, not anxious - communication about our monies and financial future as a family. As the two of us, it was easier to let things slide more often; but a pup and a baby can tack on unforeseen costs that don't slide away from our minds as easily! Minor, but helpful, the garden is a symbol of so many nuances: love, health, determination, and gratitude to name a few. Just as I am loving my library fix every couple of weeks for the escape into good reads, with the economic benefit and subsequent bonus of the nostalgic, musty aromas within the pages and binding. (Don't have an e-reader yet, and I believe I would find it a challenge to succumb to it.)
A lush life led here so far in PA, and we've so many seasons ahead to thrive!
