Gardening

When we were living in Illinois, many of our friends had gardens where they would grow veggies and such. We were in a second-story apartment, so this was an impossibility, but when we bought the house, I already had the plot planed out for our garden. Well, that garden obviously never became a reality, so when we got here to Johannesburg, and I saw that our backyard, unlike every other yard in the complex (it seemed like) didn't have any large trees or landscaping already in it; I was thrilled. I'm not a gardener. My 'green thumb' goes only as far as digging the holes for my mom's flowers and the 30 minute Life Lab education with my one foot by one foot square in elementary school (they made me grow radishes, and I don't even like radishes- but it was a great program, I have to admit).

Well, with nothing really going on in the backyard, I waited until Todd was gone on business a few months ago and dug up a plot about three feet deep by maybe twenty-four feet. I was proud of the fact that I was able to save the grass and just move it from one location to another (I have a passionate disdain for ferns and we had one the size of a small country in the backyard that I pulled out, leaving a hole the size of said country). The dirt was red clay so I went to the local nursery and got some compost and the only veggies that will survive in the fall/winter here: lettuce and celery. I got everything all ready, and I had a ton of extra room left over for the spring, which I was thrilled at, and Todd and I have loved the results. We had a dinner group over and managed a full salad for ten with leftovers from just our garden!

For me, this and the addition of a small compost pile (see Aunt Nancy, you taught me well!) would be the end of the story. If you know my husband at all, though, you know there was no way that would be 'the end'. He started researching gardening and large-scale composting and all the stuff. He then spoke to the local theological college near us and got permission for us to use some of their land for gardening as well. This news really excited me for a few reasons. 1) It'll be an excuse to get out of the house with the kids and do something outside 2) I get veggies for a fraction of the cost (I'm not planting anything that I can get dirt cheap to begin with... sorry carrots) and 3) It will be sanctioned "dirty" time and I've already scouted out a good spigot for hosing Em off. I'm really looking forward to it, but since I'm as big as a house, Todd had to do all the hard labor for this bed. We went out to the college on Saturday and again Tuesday afternoon. Em and I mostly watched, although we were able to help a bit here and there. She loved the tall grass that she could run and fall in (think the littlest Ingalls girl on the Little House on the Prairie TV show when all the other girls run down the hill and she just sort of tumbles, that's Em). Luckily, the grass was tall and therefore, each fall was totally padded. Todd worked hard, and the bed, which had sandy red clay (yuck) has been sufficiently layered with compost, manure, newspaper and dirt. Not sure how much will be able to grow in that soil this year, but even if all I get is a few cucumbers (to pickle, not to eat, gross... I'll let Todd and Em do the eating) and a pumpkin or two, I'll be thrilled. Aren't my two workers adorable?! Again, no pregnant ladies were harmed in the making of this vegetable bed. As a matter of fact, I wasn't allowed to lift anything heavier than a trowel!