In The Garden Again...

Ah, it's that time of year again.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and many a hand is busy tilling the soil of the garden.

It's officially Springtime, one of my absolute favorite times of year.

Do you remember my garden post from last year?

Do you remember how I posted my first successful effort at planting anything?

I planted two basil plants, a flat leaf parsley and a cilantro.  The latter two fared okay but the basil thrived and became two huge bushes that just didn't quit giving until frost quieted their advance.  

With that memory sweet in my mind I looked forward with great excitement to making my now annual trip to the local greenhouse.

As I walked among the tables of blossoms I couldn't help but hold my head up high making eye contact with passersby with the unspoken look of "Yes, I'm a gardener.  Quite good at it too thank you very much".

Whilst driving home I imagined all the fun and terribly witty things I would say about my lovely herbs after planting them in our verdant soil.  

The weather was, by the way, perfect.  This only added to the whole effect of my planting day.

I went to the 2 x 2 raised bed my husband had set aside for my gardening efforts and grabbed the hand rake eager to get to work.

As I dug into the soil I thought of how this post might read.....

Ah, yes!  Spring is in the air!  So lovely!  And just look at my lovely herbs!  

How do I do it you ask?  No trouble at all!  Planting is so effortless and therapeutic for me.

And fresh herbs?  Oh my, you just can't cook without them!  There is no taste comparison.  

Did I mention I live on Turkey Hill next to Martha Stewart?  ....

Then I'd chortle softly or some such.  

In fact what happened is that with the first strike of my hand rake I hit rock, and weeds, loads and loads of weeds.  

I found myself cursing as I grappled for balance trying to get the upper hand up on stubborn crab grass.

Falling gracefully on my posterior with grass and mud in my hands the truth began to slowly sink in.  

This wasn't going to be as easy as last year.  

Now that I think on it I realize that my husband did say something about "getting it ready for you" last year.

I only remember going to the greenhouse and candidly telling the clerk "I've never planted anything before but I really want to try and grow fresh herbs.  What do I do?".

She was quick to wipe the "Is this lady for real?" look from her face.

With a speedy recovery she pointed me to the herbs.  

"What am I supposed to plant them in?  Like what kind of soil?".

She was well prepared for me by now and came in with a quick but flat "a bag of potting soil" with a look that said "how stupid can she be?".

So, last year I'd come home and easily plopped that bag of soil on the hallowed spot and planted my herbs.  

There was no crab grass, no rocks because there was Mark.

My lovely husband had apparently once again done all the real dirty work for me.  

I did mention I really, really love him right?

So, today I did the work myself and I have to say it was highly unpleasant and hard.  

And the thing that really gets me is that it was only 2 x 2 ft area!  

For the love of Pete!  How in the heck do people plant whole, huge gardens?!

It's dreadful!  

Now I understand that for big farms there are big tractors and other equipment but what about a home farm that's like, I dunno, bigger than 2 x 2?

Oh the humanity!  How could one do that?

Well, needless to say I did get it done.  I will confess that just before I started in with this whole project I was narrating this blog in my head and there was a bit about "Oh, and I've really learned my lesson from last year's planting.  This year the parsley will be in it's own bed so it has room to thrive, not crowded from the robust basil".

Let's just say by the time I had the freaking soil ready I didn't care anymore.  

I just wanted it to be over.  

So they're all living happily(that's what I'm telling myself) together in the same bed again.

Good bedfellows and all that.  :)

But the story ends with planted herbs and high hopes that they will once again grow despite their owner.

So here's to tall tales, potted plants and the comic relief of real life.

~Carrie