Last year, we purchased three raised beds for our garden. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get around to using them, as we had a few home renovation projects going. For this reason, we have been really looking forward to this coming growing season, when we finally have a vegetable garden of our own to enjoy! This is the story of how our garden has been created, and a testament to the fact that good things take both time and hard work. And–how plans can change.
Our Garden
When we purchased our home, to the right of the house was a huge garden area, mixed with part-shade perennials, blueberry bushes, and areas specifically for vegetables that never seemed to thrive. The space had amazing potential, but it needed a lot of work. At the time, my husband and I worked full time and had a seven-month-old son to care for. We knew progress was going to be slow. When you aren’t able to keep up with the land, Mother Nature takes it back under her wing. So, it became overgrown and wild. In fact, during year one, we didn’t touch the space as we closed in April and needed to settle in.
At the time, the garden consisted of multiple large beds that were either empty or bursting with perennials, all enclosed by rotting wood. The remains of gravel separated the beds from the walkways, and grass was persistently trying to overtake the entire area. Along with all of the other flower beds, it was too much for a young family. We decided we would slowly create a space that would work for us.
Year 2
It was time to give the garden some attention. We transplanted all of the flowers from that area to other places in our yard, minus a hydrangea bush and a flowering quince (my favorite). Next, we took out all of the rotting wood that was used as edging (and dealt with many an ant’s nest as rotting wood=carpenter ants). We tilled the dirt and leveled the area as best we could ourselves and began to add more gravel to the area. Moving rock wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow in the heat of July caused us to call it a year. But, it was progress.
Year 3
The next year, which was 2021, we built a chicken coop in the garden area and ordered raised beds. As the grass kept insisting on growing back no matter what weed cloth or gravel we used, we embraced it and thanked God we hadn’t gotten too far into replacing it. There were rotting wooden cages built around the blueberry bushes to keep the birds out. However, this was also a barrier for us, so we took that down as well. We planted grass seed, kept cutting it when it became long to encourage it to continue to grow in fuller, and added some pavers that we had leftover from our patio renovation as a walkway. I grew some herbs in concrete blocks and one cucumber plant that year. She was finally coming together. However, the area doesn’t actually get a ton of sun. It’s actually quite shaded. The cucumber plant I had didn’t really thrive due to this fact, and it made me start to rethink whether a vegetable garden would do well there.
Year 4
This year, we have more to do, but our garden has certainly come a long way. We pruned the blueberry bushes in March to get them back into a healthy shape, and acquired some cute little ducks, which will also be housed over here. We’ve decided this isn’t the best place for our raised beds, and will move our garden area. None of the grass has yet to return from last year, so it’s just a bunch of sand and gravel.
It was a confused space, but it has found its purpose: it is a great spot for our chickens and ducks to be housed. A small brook runs nearby, just over the fence, and the mature trees nearby provide nice shade from the summer sun. Being right outside the kitchen window, I can watch my chickens, ducks, and wild birds as I do dishes.
So, our “garden” area isn’t really a garden. It’s fought to find it’s purpose for years and seems to be happy simply growing grass and a couple shrubs. Instead of fighting against nature, we have decided to go with it. She wants to grow grass, and this year, we will help her. Now the large flower bed out front, that’s another story…
