My First Attempt at a Kind of Farming

"Farming" is the grand term we like to use for our first effort at growing a square-foot vegetable garden. My husband and I moved into our cookie-cutter home two years ago. You know, the ones that all look the same, have postage stamp-sized lawns and barely enough room between them to get the wheelbarrow through. We've always wanted to grow our own food, and to tell you the truth, even though our first try wasn't the greatest success it has definitely been worth it. We started with one idea in mind - as little chemical interference as possible.

So, we built our boxes out of untreated lumber, and even cut the wood by hand. After doing a little research at the local garden store, we selected our produce and got to work. Well, honestly, my hubby did most of it, but I enjoyed watching. We planted a lot of different things like beans, onions, beets, carrots, squash, zucchini, herbs, potatoes, tomatoes, you name it, we tried to squeeze it in. This may have been our downfall in retrospect, but we've been eating a ton of spinach and zucchini and we're really looking forward to fall when we can harvest the rest.

I've learned three lessons when it comes to the garden and really, they all apply to life in general: Timing is everything! A lot of our food won't be ready until late summer or fall and we've had relatively little to consume all summer. Pick foods that peak at different times of the growing season for a more fulfilling experience. Love what you grow! If you're not crazy about spinach don't plant it. We had so much we almost didn't know what to do with it. Don't try to squish too much in! We underestimated the size and heartiness of squash and zucchini. Those delicious gourds take up a lot of space, and our little peppers didn't stand a chance.

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