When I think of gardening, I think of beautiful landscapes with gorgeous flowers, hummingbirds and butterflies fluttering about and long walks through peaceful surroundings. While I may never achieve a garden of this calibur myself, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the flowers.
What I have learned through the years is that being outside makes me feel a certain level of comfort that I don't achieve elsewhere. Not sure if it is the fresh air or the sunshine, but I really dig it - no pun intended. Living in the Valley of the Sun, I have adjusted my gardening expectations and figured out what works and what doesn't. Delicate flowers don't survive the heat, only the hearty ones do. The little labels on the plants at the garden shop that read 'full sun' - yep, those are the ones for me!
Our new family promise of eating healthy has prompted the idea of growing our own vegetables. Again, we still need to aware of what will survive and what won't and when to plant, since our spring season here is so very short. Years ago when the kiddos were small, I successfully grew enough lettuce to feed the neighborhood. Haven't been able to replicate that exactly, but I have learned that the secret is raised garden beds. DIY is in my blood and tackling the project of building raised beds for our new garden seemed to be a pretty simple project. Fellow blogger, Ana White, had some amazingly simple plans on her blog and the project took an afternoon.
Now we're growing lettuce and various herbs again! I just love the way everything tastes when it is freshly grown. I have become more creative in the kitchen, incorporating fresh veggies and herbs whenever I can. Who knows, maybe I will sharpen my cooking skills as a result of my gardening.
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