planting – The Ameri Brit Mom

As mentioned previously in my post, My Garden in the Making (Part 1), the building of my garden took a bit of a hiatus during the rains and floods of the past couple of weeks. We dug the garden and began working on the fencing to keep out critters, but the storms kicked up and our project was postponed for nearly two weeks. For everyday that fortnight it rained and/or stormed every day. Finally, there was a break in the rain schedule and we were able to wrap up the creation of our first ever garden.

Above are my transplanted tomato and green pepper plants. So far they are holding up outside. I tried to transition them into the sun by doing a couple of hours each day outside while still in their pots, but sunshine has really been limited lately so I’m hoping they will hold up outside and avoid sunburn.

Additionally, I picked up some seeds for onions, carrots, and cauliflower. All three seed packets mentioned that they can be planted in late June and harvested in early September, so my fingers are crossed that some of those plants will survive. My friend, Katy, who got me into this whole garden craze also raised up a cucumber plant and transplanted it into the garden a few days ago. So far this little buddy is hanging in there as well despite the high levels of rain and heat.

Although I hope for the best I’m not sure how successful my first garden will actually be. Worst case scenario nothing actually bears vegetation and my garden is good to go earlier next spring. Best case we will have more vegetables than we know what to do with. Stay tuned to see how my inaugural garden turns out. For now, I’m feeling accomplished that all has been tilled, dug, and planted. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of all the hard work.

From the earliest signs of spring I had a plan to create my first ever garden this year. If you were to ask me about my personal history with gardening the answer would be that it is non-existent. Growing up we never had a garden. It’s not a gift my family really possesses, but I have been working hard to develop the skills. You may also ask me what motivated me to desire a garden? Well, the answer is that not only do I think that they are beautiful, but I am also looking to save money in the future on fruits and vegetables. I like the idea of not having to purchase vegetables and knowing that they are growing in a safe environment void of any pesticides and/or harmful chemicals.

So in the early spring I picked up a Bell Pepper starter kit and my garden began to take root.

Within a couple of days my starters began to sprout. I felt so accomplished when the green buds began to emerge from the pot of dirt. Never had I brought forth life from a seedling and created vegetation. It was such a cool feeling. I set out to plant tomatoes as well. Both the peppers and tomatoes were started indoors and transplanted to different pots as their roots grew. The first of my tomato plants died early on. I was still learning the watering techniques. Two months later here is a look at my potted green peppers and second tomato plants.

The time has finally come to break ground on my garden. The ideal time I know would’ve been about a month ago, but it wasn’t until now that I was able to fit this task into my schedule. Today, my cousin who has a resume of creating gardens and landscaping came over to help my husband and I create the garden I’ve been longing for.

Here is a walk through our journey:

Step 1: We marked the dimensions for the garden. Next, we watered the ground to loosen it up and make it easier for tilling.

Step 2: My cousin and husband used the tiller to pull up the grass and till the dirt in the area that would be the garden.

Step 3: When we set out to begin our garden creation the radar was clear and it was sunny. However, as we began working the clouds grew more and more ominous and we had to take a break for a bit.

Step 4: After the rain they spread topsoil over the area of the garden.

Step 5: It began to storm so we decided to come back to it the next day. The new garden took a beating in the storm soaking up lots and lots of water so we decided to give it a day before we continued any additional work.

Soo…stay tuned to get a look at the finished product. I’m excited to reveal my very first garden!

Please Please Please comment below with any tips or tricks. I’m extremely new to gardening and would love to learn some more!

Tag: planting

My Garden in the Making (Part 2)

My Garden in the Making (Part 1)