I absolutely LOVE that I can provide my family with fresh veggies year round, but boy do I have a TON to learn, and boy have I learned a ton already. It's not lime this is the first year we've had a garden, but it is the first year I've been completely in charge. It also happens to be the best garden we've ever had. What??? I'm NOT bragging. It's just an observation! So with that said, here is what I've learned so far:
1. First, gardening is not for the faint at heart. If you're going to do it, you have to constantly be on top of it.
2. Weeds will pop up over night. By "pop up", I mean they will create a jungle in your garden of gargantuan proportions--especially after a good rain. It will leave you baffled at how quickly they appear, and give you hours of work just about daily! Next year, my garden will be lined with newspaper or alpaca fiber second to help with that. Not sure which one yet!
3. Pickling cucumber & spaghetti squash plants go CRAZY! Next year, the cucumbers are getting a trellis and the spaghetti squash are getting their own area!
4. Peas take forever to grow. Definitely plant them in April, and again in May & June.
5. You only need a couple basil plants. They grow super tall & bushy!
6. Kale from your garden is so sweet, tender, and delicious. The stuff in the grocery store is disgusting compared to home grown.
7. Wider rows!!! If you want to walk between your plants, you MUST have wider rows. Not even kidding. I was very proud of our spacious rows--then our plants grew. Oops! My husband did warn me they weren't wide enough AFTER I planted the garden, of course! ( It probably wouldn't have changed a thing if he had told me before I planted it, I thought he was crazy. Lol " They're FINE honey! Just let me do my thing!" ) My hills are fantastic though. At least I did good on that. :)
8. You'll become obsessed. You will work in your garden, talk about your garden, research your garden, dream about your current & next years garden, plan your fall garden, garden, garden, garden. People will probably get annoyed with you--unless they also have a garden, then they'll join you in your endless prattle about gardens. :P
9. There will be no vacationing if you have a large garden. No one wants to do that much work for you, even if you pay them. This is only appealing to garden enthusiast, and they usually have their own large garden to worry about. :)
10. In conclusion, gardening is not for the faint at heart. If you're going to do it, you have to constantly be on top of it.
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