Our Gardens

It is absolutely Spring. It may snow a time or two more but the nights are getting warmer, which means it's Spring. Last year was my first time trying to grow vegetables, I knew nothing about it and the soil where I planted a few things is terrible. In Southern Alberta we have a couple of challenges when it comes to growing vegetables outdoors and I really should have looked into it before I started but I'm glad I had no expectations. I popped the seeds in and if something happened, great. If not, well I guess I would just have to learn.
We have two spaces we use for gardens. One is pretty bare and didn't need much prep. Jason spread down a thick layer of nice black soil and we planted potatoes there. I loved the potatoes, they are so low maintenance and taste so much better when you grow them. The other garden needs a lot more work. The people who owned the house before Jason  bought it used it as a decorative garden and it didn't really need amendments or anything. We decided we wanted to pull everything out and use it for vegetables. It is full of ground cover, a big lilac bush and a juniper bush (gag). We're going to till it up, raise it up a bit more, lay down some good soil and hope for the best.

This year I'm forgoing the chard. I'm the only one in the house who likes it and J's mom next door grows far too much for the both of us combined. I plan on tomato, carrots (I have purple ones!), watermelon radishes, some bush beans, peas, potatoes and a pumpkin vine. I might throw a couple more in eventually, depending on how it goes.

I also have a ton of flowers I want to plant. After I tore out half of the bushes in the yard last year it looks naked. Right now I am waiting for Chris to open her greenhouse down the highway, we're big on supporting local business, at which point I will go spend lots of money and make my yard colorful again.

It might seem daunting to try and get so much gardening done with twin toddlers, BUT we have a big play yard  to pop them in while we do other things in the yard. Baby A HATES this play yard when we use it outside, she screams the whole time even if she can see us. We usually ignore her, but eventually one of the nosy old women on the block starts peeking out her window, and we have to go calm that child down.

I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, we have lots of time to get spring cleaning done, Easter dinner with my family next week and a birthday party for my girl turning seven in two weeks. She loves having her friends over but since her best friends have the busiest parents I know, it's hard to make that happen as often as she wants. I will keep updates coming as I get the party together!

Peace out!