Spring Time = Garden Time

Working in the garden

 

After a long season I am finally home again in Minneapolis. The end of the season was a bit of a disappointment with bad luck and exhaustion. I could think of no better way to recoup and relax then to see my family! It's been almost a year since I last saw them at our wedding and I was excited to catch up with everyone after one year of being a married woman and a homeowner! The trip was jam packed with fun and excitement and I wish we had more time to see everyone more. We did get to see my dad and his girlfriend Jeanie, my mom and my step-dad, my brother and his girlfriend, my grandmother,  Brian's sister and her boyfriend.

After such a mild winter I couldn't help but start thinking about starting a garden as soon as I got home to Minneapolis. Well, less then two seconds at the curb with our car Brian and I were greeted with hugs and warm welcoming by the neighborhood kids. They were genuinely ecstatic that we were home again.

 

We invited the kids to come over and start planning for the garden. We first assigned everyone a vegetable or fruit that could grow in the upper mid-west climate. There were a lot of requests for bananas but I had to explain that it was just too cold here for them to grow. We settled on greens, cucumbers, peppers. string beans, carrots, squash, and raspberries!!! We drew out a plan for the garden and decided to start the next day.

 

 

Garden Planning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day was perfect weather to start raking and digging. We found the area of the yard with the most sun and got to work clearing it a and preparing the ground for the plants to come. After almost 5 hours of work we had a beautiful section of earth awaiting the nest step.

After a long day of work it was time to celebrate with a marshmallow toasted over our burning brush pile! Yum!!!

Making the path to the garden!

 There is a frost advisory for tonight so I am glad that nothing is in the ground yet. I hope to get to the garden supply store this week to either get some seeds or some started plants! More pictures to come of the finished product!  The garden represents a great accomplishment for the kids in our neighborhood. They are excited about the ability to grow their own food and to learn about the benefits of composting and recycling.