DIY-Our First Garden!

Recently, husbandfriend and I have set out on numerous Do It Yourself projects. I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't a bit apprehensive with most of them. I like to consider myself to be a pretty well-rounded individual when it comes to being able to accomplish task that require knowledge in lots of different areas.

I was lucky enough to be raised by a genius doctor, who was also a farmer, and a general handyman. I spent a lot of time around a loving uncle who taught me a thing or two about automotives and power tools. Being a Mormon automatically (though not always accurately) implies that I am "crafty and creative". If I am ever in a math crunch, I can call my stepdad and he will set me straight in seconds. My redneck cousins make sure that I have all the knowledge I need to survive in the wild--and look cool while doing so! Like I said, lucky girl.

THEN, I married an amazing young fella with a wild imagination and energy that could generate a powerplant (I think some people call this A.D.D? hehe). His parents completely renovated their home on their own and just recently created a "theater room" for the family! How cool is that?! Needless to say, it just runs in our genes to always want to do/make/create SOMETHING!

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The first project we set out to complete was our garden. The house we moved into had a HUGE planter sitting, waiting patiently to be put to good use. And so it came to pass. 

Our garden the day that we planted everything.

We made sure to outline the edge of the garden with 3' chicken wire to keep out the Peter Rabbits. We decided to dig down into the planter about an inch or two so that nothing can slip under the chicken wire. Since chicken wire is super flimsy we used re-bar posts ever couple feet and threaded it through the chicken wire. This was super helpful. 

We used two wooden dowels as the gate and stapled rope across from one to the other, every inch or so. One post is secured in the ground. The other post is the one that is mobile and can be opened. To secure the gate when it needs to be closed Husbandfriend dug a hole and buried a water bottle so the opening was level with the ground--leaving the top open. The mobile dowel fits perfectly into the opening and the gate stays closed!

In hindsight we are thinking that we probably should have tilled the already existing dirt with our planting soil a little more than we did.

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We love our garden! I am notorious for killing anything plant related, but this has become my baby! I love spending time after work watering, pruning, picking, and fertilizing in our little garden paradise! I am happy to report that we haven't had an fatalities yet!

Last week we picked our first strawberry. It was tiny, big enough for each of us to take one nibble before we hit the stem. But let me tell you, IT WAS DELICIOUS! Seriously. The sweetest, juiciest, little taste of strawberry heaven. This made me contemplate the actuality of organics and selfsustainment. We decided that if we are going to go for it we may as well go all out! We are in the process of making our own compost rich soil (this will be discussed in a later post) and so far it's a success! I am excited that we have veered on to this path in the little way that we have. :) 

Our first tasty treat!

Our garden has grown so much since that first picture. It isn't beautiful in terms of "eye appeal" and we are ok with that. It's a garden. We now have strawberries, jalapenos, tomatoes, chiles, basil, potatoes, and watermelon growing like crazy! 

It's not to late to start your own! Planting times vary on location and type of fruit/veggie/legume you want to plant. Here is a helpful chart that I found on Pinterest. 

 I would love to hear your tips and tricks in your own gardening adventures!

Good luck and Happy Gardening!

Mo