As a kid, the summer is always full of possibility and adventure. Even if there is nothing going on. In a kid’s world, everything is pretty amazing.

As an adult, we start to lose some of that wonder and excitement. Every day is often similar enough to the day before, or the day before that!

Life can feel….kind of…dull…

As an adult, it’s hard to create that magic! Life is busy, and even with COVID, it’s hard to slow things down enough to catch your breath sometimes.

It’s why I LOVE my garden!

No matter what knowledge you are starting with, a garden brings some of that possibility and adventure back somehow. It makes each day interesting because you start to see change and growth. Like a new bud, or a flower blooms, or you start getting fruit or veggie production. You can visually see some of your effort produce something that you can actually use! In a weird way, you are assisting in creating nature’s miracle of life…a little much? Oh well!

I have been growing veggies for the last couple of years and it has been SOOO exciting and rewarding. I may have a simple mind but I tell you, few things in life replace the satisfying feeling of harvesting something from your own yard, and putting it on the table for dinner!!

When deciding what to grow, it’s important to keep in mind your time and energy. It can quickly become too big for you to manage! Also think about what your final destination of your plants may be; don’t forget to consider sunlight, shade, and of course, what plants you will grow.

When I first started, I had no idea where to set up the garden, so I decided to use container gardens. That way, I could move the plants around if they weren’t doing well.

Just look at all my plants!

I have a variety of different kinds of tomatoes, I have lots of sweet bell peppers (assuming they actually provide anything), I have summer squash, and pie pumpkins. I also have peppermint that I mostly for mint infused water (it’s so refreshing, try it!!), and strawberries (with hardly enough berries to harvest, between the kids and the squirrels eating them right out of the garden!)

I had a larger variety last year but for whatever reason my cucumber and cantaloupe did not want to germinate this year. Que sera sera! It’s actually another life lesson that I love about gardening. Sometimes, you can do everything right, and it still doesn’t work out. But that doesn’t mean you need to stop gardening all together. Some things work out and create a bountiful reward, and other things don’t work out at all! Even nature has to roll with the punches!

I highly recommend planning some veggies to plant for next year! It’s so satisfying!! You don’t need a large garden bed. Just a few containers will suffice. The containers I use, I got from the dollar store. I line them with landscape fabric to hold in the soil, then add the soil, obviously! I start with seeds inside during the winter, check out my other post about gardening A hint of spring in the air. I then transplant them once they get big enough to make it on their own! They are like my babies!