I started prepping for the garden today, finally. I have 6-8 weeks until it’ll be time to plant them in the ground.

My two year old helped me put the dirt in the pots and I actually got the 7 year old to plant a few. Of course, neither of them wanted to go with my plans (neat rows with each type of flower/vegetable/herb labeled so it was haphazardly tossed in and it’ll be a fun surprise when they grow.

My first year with a garden, I had sunflowers the size of the first floor of our apartment and very healthy tomato plants. I also made the mistake of planting basil in an uncontained area. I was literally chasing people down the sidewalk with handfuls of basil asking if they’d like some (had a few bags frozen and was using some to cook with- just had way too many plants pop up)

The second year, my plants failed to come up. Everything I tried, nothing was living and the garden didn’t look half as good- even with pre-grown plants and we moved the next year and got a very late start. All the plants I pre-planted had died by that time. We had a hideous bush our landlord was saying she’d have removed. We finally got fed up and my husband cut it down. We kept a bit of stump and stick and I’ve been perching some decorations inside. I’m thinking about painting it and tying different color ribbons.

This year, I’m planning on having as full and beautiful a garden as I can. I planted extra seeds (I used the full packs) so hopefully I’d have enough healthy enough plants to fill our little section of land.

From the time I was a child, I had plans laid out for a huge, elaborate garden- the type that fills up at least one acre of land. It came complete with benches, patios, a stone walkway and lots of statues and fountains. It’s still a vision in my head- that I want to make reality. When I was young, I played Rollercoaster Tycoon and always had awards for best scenery- I’d build the park up then expand to design the gardens.

I think planning for my garden and actually laying it out is my favorite part of Spring and the time is finally here to start my plans. My goal in life is to live out away from everything and live sustainably- plant my own fruits, veggies, get my meat and eggs locally sourced (or through hunting) and have a well for water. I don’t trust grocery store produce, although I do have to eat it and I don’t trust grocery store meat- although we do have to buy it. I have toyed with making my own facial products, cleaners and dishsoap. I attempted to make my oldest’s wipes but couldn’t use cloth diapers.

I have no idea when I started to take an interest in that way of life, but it seems peaceful, relaxing and a lot of fun.