Ever since I read the book The Secret Garden in elementary school, I became enamored with the idea of having my own secret garden. I grew up living in apartments so the extent of my prior experience consisted of watering a few house plants. When my husband and I were house hunting for our current home, my number one non-negotiable was it had to have room for a garden. When we were torn between the bigger house with the tiny backyard or the smaller house with the larger backyard. We chose the one with the yard. I am so glad we did.
Today, my motives for wanting to establish a garden with an accompanying prowess has evolved from fascination and enchantment to a calling to get back to basics. For a rookie gardener like myself, gardening is no cake walk. It is downright complicated if you ask me. Even still there is something calmingly simplistic about playing in the dirt with the sun hugging your shoulders and a light breeze dancing about, keeping you cool.
Also unlike money, food does indeed grow on trees. (and on bushes, vines, runners, as well as in the ground) But similar to the old adage, you are not going to get a very good return without a proper investment in time, thoughtfulness and care.
I have been winging it over the last few years. I bought a few books some years ago that I promised myself I would read cover to cover. I broke that promise. Instead I read the first few pages of each, watched a couple YouTube videos and googled a couple topics. I made a lot of preventable mistakes that way; wasting time, money and plant seeds.
But this year it is Rocky montage mode. I am starting from the ground up (pun intended). I want to sop up whatever knowledge I can, bit by bit. So to grow my Spring garden and my expertise, I am starting with the basics as I begin this year.