Growing on the other side of the fence

This garden girl is super excited! After two years of hoping, wishing, dreaming and believing it would happen, my garden expansion is on the grow!  Yes, yes, y’all! I've made it from the backyard to the front yard - it's on and popping for real.  I've taken a perfectly nice stretch of lawn and transformed it into a garden and it feels so good to be growing on the other side of the fence.  You know what they say, “don’t talk about it, be about it” and I’m officially living the dream!

If you’ve been following my journey, then you’ve seen pics of my husband working hard to fix the old and extremely worn privacy fence on the side of our house.  You’ve also seen photos of my garden design (thanks to Nina of Urban Backyard Edibles) and the actual garden boxes (constructed with the help of Gene and Stef).  I even received a donation of over 50 packs of seeds from Frugal Gardening Tips blogger, Angela (my kindred soul sistah).  It seemed like there was no reason this garden shouldn’t get going but as it happens in life, there were roadblocks along the way. 

Once the boxes were built and positioned, I lost momentum.   The summer brought on trips out of town, visits from family & friends, my high school class reunion and on it went.  With so much happening, the story was constantly the same and I found myself lacking either the funds or time to finish what I started.

With the fall season fast approaching, it became imperative for me to get this garden growing.   Knowing that I needed fresh vegetables ready for harvesting by Thanksgiving, I got serious about the project and placed my compost order - five yards to fill five garden boxes (four at my house and one at my aunt’s house).   The compost was delivered early afternoon on Friday, August 17, 2012. Oh what a wonderful day that was!  I couldn’t be more excited as the truck backed up over the curve and dumped a full load of richly colored soil with that earthy scent I’ve grown to love right under my grandmother’s Dogwood tree.  That day was busy and with a long list of other things to do, I could only admire the pile and look forward to breaking through the heap and blessing my boxes with this gorgeous organic mix at another time. 

Sunday I was up early and dressed for a date with the dirt but to my dismay, found that the elements were not in agreement.  Between alternating spurts of light showers and pouring rain, I watched my pile from the window.  It stood strong through the storm and was as lovely as a pile of compost could be.  For the next few days, I checked on the pile, took pictures of it, walked around and admired it from all angles while waiting patiently for the perfect time to get busy.   Early one morning just after sunrise, I grabbed the shovel, gloves and wheelbarrow and went to work.  After layering the bottom of each box with cardboard and thick paper leaf bags, I shoveled with intensity, passion and purpose.  By 7:30AM, the first box was filled and I was pleased with my work.

That afternoon, I headed out with the intention of filling just one more bed.  I wanted Gene to come home to find my work halfway done.  I wanted him to be proud of what I accomplished without asking for help as this was certainly a task I could handle.  When I ventured outside, I saw my neighbor, Ms. Cathy, working in her yard and wandered over for a chat.  An hour later, I was headed home with snippets of Angel’s Trumpet, Rubber Plant, Hen & Chicks and a few other lovelies from her yard.  I hadn’t expected the gifts but was overflowing with appreciation for what would soon be thriving in my space.  There’s something so wonderful about receiving a living gift for it is a constant reminder of both the giver and their generosity.  With no time left to work on the garden, I ventured back inside for the rest of the day.

That evening, I was back on the grind filling each box ¼ of the way in order to keep the paper bottoms in place.  I finished under a clear, moonlit sky with only the sound of crickets and other night singers filling the air.  It was very humid.  I was sweaty and  my clothes were heavily soiled with compost that had flown back at me a few times after swinging the shovel the wrong way but I was so happy to be standing in that place.  There on the side of my house, alone in the dark, I reveled in this accomplishment and let the joy flow through me. 

The following afternoon I was back outside, determined to bring this job to a close.  Just as I started to get into my work, I saw Ms. Cathy approaching with her shovel in hand.  She had come to help me – what a grand surprise!   For the next hour, we worked together, filling the remaining beds to the top.  I was so excited and shocked by yet another act of kindness, that I talked nonstop the entire time.  I kept telling Ms. Cathy how much I appreciated her assistance and she shared that her reason for helping was that she felt I was doing "something good". 

Before setting out on my official summer vacation, I planted a few rows of carrots and turnips with my twelve year old God-daughter, Amari.  She was very quiet and focused as she carefully placed the seeds in the ground.  I couldn't find my garden label stakes so we made strips from cardboard and used permanent marker to write down what we planted and mark our rows.  It was a very temporary solution but it worked.  The next day, I helped with planting at the Hotchkiss Community Garden and was able to take a few of the leftover transplants (provided by Shalom Farms) home.  As the sun began to set, I placed the tiny seedlings in the ground and gave them a nice watering.  With two garden boxes complete, I felt secure in departing for my trip knowing that the garden would thrive in my absence.

When I decided that I wanted to grow food for my community by way of my church's missionary program, I had no idea that my life would be elevated in the way that it has.  So many people have recognized the good in what I seek to do and have given freely of their time and resources to get me to this point.   My “something good” will really prove to be a manifestation of the good in others like Ms. Cathy, Gene, Stef, Angela, Amari and Shalom Farms.  I’m thankful.

Compost pile

From pile to box

Amari in the garden