Gratitude Garden: The Sequel

Soooo, you’d think last year would’ve proven that this gardening thing is not for me. Or rather, you would have, had I shown off my dismal harvest.

But here’s the thing: the best gardeners kill the most plants. That is a quote I once heard, and I truly believe it. Like life, gardening is a learning process.

After my first attempt, I thought to myself, I don’t have much to eat this year. But since these plants survived, I’ll sow them again next year. So, with the seeds I saved and the seeds & plants I spent too much money on, let’s buckle up, watch as this garden fails again, and watch as I keep trying.

To set the scene:

Sometime in January, I thought I’d get an indoor head start. Cue my first failure!

This dragon kept plucking my baby plants out of their indoor pots.

Despite my furry menace and sweetheart of a cat, I persevered. Once the weather was ready, I started with a lot of different garden spaces.

In one, I put white corn, black beans and butternut squash. I had a similar idea for another space, with bi-color corn, green beans and watermelon (the watermelon never showed up, though).

In another, I planted more corn, black beans and pumpkin. The pumpkin never graced me with its presence either.

Update: the pumpkin showed up! The watermelon may have, too. Time will tell as the vines grow between both spaces.

For my raised bed, I attempted strawberries. I’m guessing they got too cold and quickly died. Thankfully, though, I planted different strawberries in three other spots; so far, they are survivors. They’re not growing a whole lot, but I’ve been blessed with a couple fresh strawberries to try.

I had also planted onions and carrots in the raised bed, but eventually, they too died. Thankfully, I’ve had time to start more since.

Other random spots throughout my yard feature cucumbers; dill; jalapeno peppers; purple tomato; and echinacea flowers. Featured in pots and grow bags are red potatoes along with more onions; raspberries; another doomed strawberry plant; cayenne pepper; Roma tomato; basil; oregano; and randomly sprinkled throughout are sunflowers, marigolds and zinnias.

April progress

One of my garden spaces. I used a pitchfork to loosen the soil and *kinda* weed it

While trying to make the garden space, my lovely wheelbarrow decided to test my patience – many times – by continuing to fall over. On the bright side, it made for a beautiful photo.

May progress

My echinacea flower / coneflower at its start. Before it was in the ground.

Butternut squash – I took the seeds out of one from the store.

Last year I found a really cool-looking frog in my garden. It reminded me of a relative who passed and made me feel like she was looking over me and my garden. So this year, I made sure to include a lil froggy. 🐸

Echinacea flower, once it was in the ground. At one point I wasn’t sure it would survive, and something toppled or chewed into these flowers during May. But I remembered an old tip and grabbed some hair from a brush to place near the plant. It hasn’t been messed with since.

June progress

My echinacea plant – turns out it did survive!

My corn stalks. They are getting so big! 😁

My mystery plant, likely watermelon or cucumber. Could be pumpkin.

Lavender start with some onions to help deter pests and grow some yummy food all in one.

July progress

My raspberries. Much like me, she is trying 😂

August progress

At one point over the season I planted some random seeds – these beautiful flowers eventually popped up!

Unfortunately, sometime during this month I believe a bunny rabbit took out my corn stalks. So yet again this year, I will not be able to try my own homegrown corn on the cob (you know, the very reason I started the garden last year). But I could at least save a cob or two for seeds and I served a bunny a meal or two. Also, although not pictured, the pumpkin plant did show up this month.

September progress

I am finally sitting outside on a nice cool day. The summer and fall noises along with birds and squirrels and crickets and rain. I’m thankful for my senses – thankful I can smell the rain. Whatever that feeling is – the slight chill in the air mixed with the feeling that a new season is coming.

I’m grateful for the adorable little bird that stopped by to say hello. I’m grateful for the pitter-patter of a light rain; it is the sound of tension, worry and stress washing away – if only for a moment.

Well, it turns out these guys have invaded and are not allowing my squash to grow anymore.

October progress

Introducing my pumpkin (maybe watermelon). It sure grows fast!

I hope to update this again soon. In case I don’t, I’ll leave you with some thoughts.

I may not make it out to the garden often and I may be lousy at taking care of it, and this year seemed to prove that gardening still isn’t for me. But I will see you again next year.

Every time I walk out there to see a new flower, fruit, growth spurt or even just a plant hanging in there, it reminds me that I too have good days and bad. I have days where I disappoint and days where I feel like I won’t make it. But other days, I bear fruit. Or I grow a little more. Some days, I just hang in there.

Whenever I’m in the garden, I feel grateful for what it is doing that day. We are not so different.