Our Reason to Begin

After lots of herbs put into our fridge from a grocery run only to quickly turn into a wilty black mess, the idea of a garden filled with all the herbs we use daily sounded like the perfect option. A spot where we could gather cuttings every day to use in whichever meal we were cooking up. We were a bit hesitant at the idea of starting a garden though.

Let’s say the confidence was low and the expectations minimal because we’ve been known to kill a cactus or two by a little over-loving with a watering can. We thought why not though and decided to transform a patch in the yard into a small garden.

Planning

We’re a little bit of research and a whole lot of winging it when it comes to putting dreams in motion and this was no different. A few Google searches of container beds later and an order placed on a metal u-shaped raised bed, and our idea of starting a garden was in motion. We headed to the store for soil and compost, another trip again for soil (needed a bit more than we thought) and set up the bed.

While planning our garden, we selected what we thought we’d use the most often like cilantro, basil, parsley, green onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. Of course for a little bit of added color and to attract pollinators we simply used the judgment of what looked pretty at the time which was pink ombre snapdragons and mustard-colored marigolds. We’ve added in strawberries, eggplants, carrots, and radishes. A blend of the plants are from seed and others we bought so we didn’t have to wait so long to harvest and it wouldn’t look like only tiny weeds poking out of the bed. 

Lessons Learned So Far

Mint will quickly take over your garden claiming every nearby space as its own. Ours is now nestled in its terracotta pot home right next to our raised bed so it stays under control. 

Plant more seeds and place them less deep than you’d think, only about twice as deep as they are wide. We quickly learned that sometimes you’ll get almost every seed to sprout while others you’re lucky to only get a couple to take. We plant about double the amount of seeds to plants we’re hoping to transplant into the garden.

Routine Turned Relaxing

Taking a 10-minute break from work during the day and checking on the garden has actually been quite relaxing and something we now look forward to. We’ll peek at its growth and chat about the simplicity of it like the new tomato buds we have or varieties of veggies we want to try next. Some days we’ll even treat ourselves to a little snack of a strawberry while watering the plants some days.

Essentials 

A couple of products we’ve loved so far.

Looking Forward

We’ve recently added an ivory eggplant and can’t wait to try it. There’s one right now starting to poke through the other blooms which are such a pretty lavender color. We’re also in the will-they-won’t-they sprout waiting phase for the cosmos and taking guesses of what colors they’ll be from the mixed seed pack. While starting a garden was a hesitation at first, we sure do love it!