The first half of the year has been a whirlwind for me. I bought a house a few months ago and have been trying to get settled in. My department at work is going through major changes so I have sticky notes everywhere in my office. Needless to say that while I have been in a transformational process for the last two to three years this has by far been the most the most transitional time. Buying a house has allowed me to start one of my most anticipated projects, a vegetable garden.
I am a true Southern girl at heart. While I grew up in the city in South Carolina, my grandparents lived in a small town in the country. For as long as I can remember they had a vegetable garden including various fruit trees and grapevines. Being a city girl, the thought of picking something that may have worms or bugs on it made me itch. Only as I matured did I come to appreciate the beauty and satisfaction of growing your own food. On my journey to a healthier lifestyle, I had to evaluate my eating habits and what I’m putting in my body. We hear all the time about the amount of growth hormones and pesticides that are used to produce the things we eat. Have you seen a real chicken versus the chicken you see in the grocery store, there is no way they are simply grass or grain fed. Now that I’ve gotten settled in the house, it’s time to get started on the garden.
My first endeavor didn’t go so well. There is a reason that I chose patience as my word for the year, I don’t have a lot of it. A garden takes a tremendous amount of patience and as Kevin Hart says,” I’m gonna learn today”. I planted tomato, green bean, and basil plants in early April. We had a rough winter and the temperature was not yet where it should have been so they became casualties of war. The bean plant actually flooded because I put it in a container with no drain holes. So I went back to the drawing board; talked to other people; and bought some books on gardening. This time I think I’m on track. I planted tomato, basil, squash, and cucumber plants a few weeks ago. The basil is already smelling wonderful and then I got a little surprise this week from the squash plant. I feel like a five year old on Christmas day. I can’t wait to see the fruits of my labor. If all goes well, I’ll be building a raised bed garden next year. And if it doesn’t I’ll still be building a raised bed garden. Patience is a virtue and this garden is going to show me exactly what that means. If you’re a gardener, I welcome your suggestions and let me know what you’re growing this year. I would love to see pictures. Here are a few of mine.
C-Sweet Chronicles 
Your plants look very good. They do need more soil. The tomato plant need more because the root need to secure in nutrient and space to grow. I would suggest that you get a second pot, tomato plant and soil to fill the new pot. Leave your preplanted tomato plant alone. You prabbly
can add soil up to the bottom stems. Aunt Janie
Thanks for the advice. I’ll try again.
Cucumber will need to be staked if it is a runner (vine). If it is a bush, it need room to expand. When using flower pots, the soil should come up to the rim of the pot.
I have a new plant so pictures to come.