Our Family Garden

For the last 3 years my husband and I have managed a small garden. Dylan is the one who started this project at our home when he wanted a pepper and tomato garden. He watched and cared for these 2 tiny plants like they were his babies. At this time in my life I was so busy I couldn’t stand the thought of having another chore to manage, but I loved seeing how proud Dylan was of something he grew. The more I began to enjoy cooking, the things he grew were fun to incorporate. So we added a small herb garden and I would cook every week with those herbs. Daizy has always shown interest in gardens and flowers, maybe her name was a predictor of just that.

Over these last few summers my love for gardening has grown just like these small raised beds we began with. This winter we have spent countless hours of research, planning, and calculations. I never knew how much time went into a garden and it is not something to take on easily, it’s a BIG COMMITMENT with BIG REWARDS.

After our planning was complete, it was time to finally begin prepping, building, working, and working some more to make our dreams become our reality. In February of 2020 , we turned our kitchen into a seed starting station with over 200 seeds. We had some fails and some successes, but for the most part we were able to transfer all of our seedlings into the ground in late April.

Every single morning we wake up, we go check the garden, excited to see the growth that happened overnight. The mornings spent in the garden are so peaceful and refreshing. 🌱☀️☕️. Most of our afternoons have been spent working on the beds, laying sod, refilling with dirt, preparing for the bad weather, painting fence, and the list goes on and on. Our Grampa lives just across the road and comes to meet us every evening after dinner. We go back to watch the sun set, and put the chickens to bed. It has become one of the best ways to spend quality time with my family and something that brings so much joy.

There are so many lessons to teach the kids (even myself) like how a seed has to be buried in a dark place and be taken care of to grow. It’s a lot of hard work, and even though the world doesn’t see it just yet, it doesn’t mean something amazing isn’t happening underneath and one day it will shine beautifully for all to see.

From our failed endeavors, obstacles we have overcome, and the knowledge we have gained along the way, we are learning how to care for a healthy garden that is ever evolving.

It’s now such a rewarding spot at our home that I never knew I needed. Every time I look out the window, there is always one of us wandering around inside. There has never been a better time to pause and appreciate a slower, more simplistic lifestyle! The garden has given us just that and I seriously couldn’t be more proud of us! Something I never thought I would like has become something I love all because Dylan's little pepper patch and a girl named Daizy. Funny how life works.

"We might think we are maturing our garden, but of course it's our garden that is really maturing us."