I have a confession to make... I'm a HORRIBLE gardener. I'll tell why.. The day began as it normally does, with coffee, of course! I decided this was the weekend that I would take on the task of documenting all the packets of seeds we have and deciding which ones I still need to order for 2020. While going through my inventory, I realized that I made a HUGE mistake. I forgot to plant some of my Queen of the Night tulip bulbs. I found them, sitting in a bucket on the front porch, MOLDY. I lucked out because the mold was thankfully, superficial .I quickly wiped them off, found bed space by what is currently a storage garage and what will someday become my workshop, dug up some soil (thank you rain for loosening up the ground!) and planted them with the hopes that they aren't a total loss. These Queen of the Night tulips will be a gorgeous deep plum color, popping against the white walls they are planted in front of.
The thing about gardening is that there's really no exact science, no exact rule book that ensures a perfect season and a perfect harvest. I've read countless gardening books. I've taken bits and pieces of advice from some of my favorite farmers. Even if you have a perfect sowing phase or a create the perfect soil for your garden, there are so many other factors that influence a garden.
RAIN
SUN/HEAT
WIND
No season is the same and no harvest is guaranteed. But we must press on and do our best to work the ground, sow seeds at the right time (ahem, that includes fall bulbs), weed garden beds and harvest on time.
I'm a new gardener, a young gardener. I still have so much to learn. In this little blank space of ours, we get an incredible opportunity to cultivate our farm to be exactly what we've envisioned. We've spent this year dreaming up the vision, walking the property and seeing how we use the space. How it all could best be planted. How it could best thrive. Some things have changed and yet the dream remains the same. Our goal for this little farm, this homestead, is to cultivate a space where our family can thrive. Where we can grow and raise our own food. Where we can someday raise happy, healthy farm kids. Where we can invite others to share in the bounty of our harvest, over a meal or something as simple as a conversation over coffee.
So here's to planting tulips in December. Happy gardening friends!