Adventures in gardening

Welcome to the first entry in what I hope becomes a series of entries. Zack and I have become "inspired" lately or "motivated". I'm not sure what the right word is but basically we have decided to turn our bruised thumbs back to green and try our hand at a garden.

First, here is a history of Nilson gardening.....

The first 6 years of our marriage was spent in apartments and no outdoor area for a garden.
8 years ago we buy our first house and my kind father comes and helps us to plant some tomatoes and some pansies around the house. Dun dun dun duuuunn! they all fell victim to neglect and weeds....
4 years ago I try to plant some flowers in front of our current home, 2 months later they were all burned to death in the searing sun I planted them in.
2 years ago I get ambitious and tear out everything in our front garden and replant... then we have another child and the garden falls into disrepair yet again...
Our only success that year was a couple of giant sunflowers, planted... not by me but by my children.

So as you can see there is some desire here...little or no knowledge, not a lot of follow through... and a LOT of weeds.

In comes inspiration... first a friend of mine suggested the reading of a book called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" A very eye opening read on the realities of commercial farms verses organic community agriculture and home gardens.
So I was on board to do something.... but oh! the work involved in having a garden! no way was I subjecting myself to that torture.
Next, Zack and I listen to a great talk at church (thanks Bro Johnson) about the church efforts to teach gardening to 3rd world countries. The importance of being self reliant hits home and Zack mentions how we should do a garden.... yeah I know we need to, but the WORK! no way!
Zack, being a bit more ambitious than I... (or maybe he was just having a slow day at work and browsing online) found out about a new method of gardening that promises... little work, not many weeds and abundant harvests... yeah sounds like a dream right?

Check it out... it's so simple...



We both have read the book and are on board to try this new method (the same method the church is using to teach in 3rd world countries)... we are giving it a test run this year. We are putting only one 4ft X 4ft box in. Zack has had to reign me in a little, for as soon as I read about the idea I wanted to redo the whole landscaping of the house to fit with the box idea!

So here begins the Nilson Gardening Chronicles...an experiment in gardening and gaining that green thumb... or green "foot" with Square Foot Gardens.