Creating a veggie garden

I am not going to title this "planting a veggie garden" for I fear we are far from (possibly never going to start) planting my little square of garden that I dream will someday yield us a range of beautiful veggies.

There are many reasons why I want to start a veg garden. There are the "right" ones: sustainable organic food production, teaching children where food comes from, etc. There are the selfish ones: "Dave has hobbies that he enjoys. Why should I spend every week focused only on the kids and the housework? I deserve to do something (albeit possibly something I am not going to excel at) just for ME!" And there are the down-right insane ones: "Everyone else is doing it. Surely if so many friends of mine with children, careers, AND different hobbies other than gardening can manage growing a multitude of produce in their own yards, so can I!" Add to the list of insane the many websites I've looked at that tout the simplicity and enjoyment of veggie growing.

Once I got my heart set on the idea, I knew it would only happen once I started digging. So on Sunday afternoon, I sent Dave and the kids to his dad's. I spent most of that time at the local hardware shop trying to figure out what I would need to add to the soil and how I would keep the dogs out. But then ($75 later! Side-note: this is a LOT of money out of our monthly budget...) I finally stuck that shovel into the earth. It took HOURS to dig up just a few rows of dirt! By my calculations, I would be lucky to dig out my measured plot by the following weekend, provided I had a couple of dry hours to work every day. HA. Add children and weather into the mix, and that is looking less likely. BUT, there is something deep in my blood that hates to leave things unfinished. So I will persevere, even if it means I am planting in the blistering heat of summer, I desperately want to prove to myself that I can do this.

I have one friend in particular who inspires me. She has three children under the age of 4, a huge house that she keeps in immaculate condition, an exceptional range of handmade crafts that somehow she finds the time to make (and sell!), and a husband who works 6 days a week (so she does a lot on her own). She casually mentioned the other day that in a single weekend she set up their new veggie garden and worm farm. Done. I will never, ever, know how she finds the time to do it all, or make it look so simple. This is what setting up the garden has looked like thus far for me:

Two trips to the local hardware store (the second one with screaming kids in tow, constantly climbing out of the shopping cart and running away so they can experience the thrill of testing my patience as I chase them down, corner them, and force them back in again) totalling well over $100 by now (and I haven't even thought about WHAT I am actually going to plant in there once I get started), and 3 days of sporadic digging interspersed with:

"Mom, we want to help, LET US HELP!"

"OK, here, pick up the loose blades of grass and put them in the wheel barrow."

"This is BOOOOOORING!!!!!!!!!"

"OK, look at these worms, dig them new homes in the soil and cover them up."

"Yaaaay! Worms! Look at my worm Mommy! MATTHEW! NOOOO! MOM, LOOK AT WHAT MATTHEW'S DOING TO MY WORM! AGHHHHHHHH!" <Lots of screaming, crying, shoving, a bit like a horror movie as Matthew obsesses with mutilating the worms and Michaela attempts to save them. I get ALOT done while this is going on. NOT. And this is pretty much the default we come back to the entire time we're out there>

"Mom, I'm hungry. I'm HUNGRY! I need a snack!!!!!! MOOOOOOOOM!"

"Matthew, stop scooping out all the soil and throwing it all over the yard!" <I swear the dogs are better at responding to me when I talk to them.There is pretty much dirt everywhere>

"Give me back my tool, Matt. MOM! MATTHEW TOOK MY RAKE! WAHHHHH!"

"Mom, there's dog poop over here. Come get it. Get it now! MATTHEW'S TOUCHING IT!"

Just a taste, really. It is going to take me a long, long, time. But maybe if I write about it on here, you, my loyal fans, will help inspire me. And by loyal fans, I should actually say Hi Mom! Hi Dad! as I am pretty sure you are the only people who look at this on the odd occasion. Love you :)