Spring Gardens and Other Lessons in Humility

Our Most Successful Start, circa 2014

It's official.  This weekend we will put our first seeds into starter soil.  The kids have outlined their

lists of what they want to grow several times.  I've culled the lists down to what we hope will have a reasonable hope of success this season.  I think this is probably our fifth garden attempt in Oklahoma and, hopefully, our last in this location.  As such we are using this season as an opportunity to hone what little we have learned and also to do some container gardening on the perennials that we hope to transport to our homestead for next year.  While last year's efforts were a nearly perfect failure as far as actual edible produce not all was lost as we did come away with several valuable lessons.

With that said, here are some things we have learned over the past 5 efforts.

1. Knee high by the 4th of July...unless/until a hail storm rolls into town in which case thou art screwed.
2. Second season grape vines will start producing clusters the size of your fist.  A pair of goats will destroy 2 years of work in an afternoon.

   

   The Day of the Great
   Goat / Grape Incident
   Circa 2015

3. Seeds matter.  The stuff you bought at the bargain bin *may* work next year.  Two years out, not so much.
4. No amount of books and magazines on the 'half-acre self-sufficient organic garden in 5 minutes per week' will make up for the fact that weeds grow, watering is not an exact science and it takes a lot more pea plants that you could possible imagine to feed a family of 6...for one meal.
5. Your best wood working chisels will not grow more chisels when your kids plant them next to the carrots.
6. Remember that part of the Bible about working the soil by the sweat of your brow?  It's literal.
7. There is nothing sweeter than watching your daughter grow as she plants and harvests her own watermelon.
8. For all the talk of being self-reliant and going back to the earth I am very, very thankful that I can still cruise over to the grocer to buy whatever we need because, truth be told, we would starve if left to my own devices.
9. Rabbit poop: this year's secret weapon.
10. Like every year before, *this* will be the year we nail it.

I'll be sharing our progress over the next few months for any interested parties.  Please check back and share any comments, hints or stories.  Here's to great families, great communities and maybe even some home made salsa.