Dreams of Greener Days

Are you familiar with "the grass is always greener" syndrome?  Where we think someone else is having a better time elsewhere and we make ourselves miserable by constantly thinking about the unknown in an endless quest to find happiness? Well, that was my gardening experience last season. I'd lie awake at night torturing myself over what I should do next and feeling as though I'd wasted my time and energy not doing something better. I had to consistently remind myself that...

The grass is never greener on the other side of the fence, and as many will tell you, sometimes there is not even any grass. The grass is only greener where you water it.

If you happened to follow my few posts from last season, you know that this was also a huge problem for me literally. It was HOT last year, and making sure the garden got enough water became a major challenge. I found myself constantly envious of the other beautiful plots in our DUG community, none of whom had started from seed but instead used starter plants. 

Yesterday, determined to make this years garden a success, I decided it was time to turn over the soil and puts some seeds and starters in the ground--my first time using starter plants! I did some reading, again, to make sure I turned over the soil correctly and was laying fresh top soil and fertilizer on the plot. I found myself at Home Depot buying Sheep and Peat, organic seeds for cilantro, spinach, carrots, beets, and eggplant (which I either have been able to previously grow without a starter or are supposed to be easy to start from seed), as well as starter plants for Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and basil. 

When we arrived at the garden it appeared as though no one had been there yet this season. I'd assumed I was late planting and decided to get to work on my plot anyways. 

My boyfriend and I did some proper maintenance on the plot getting rid of rocks, weeds, and grass (and I joked that so far it looked better than anyone else's). We'd turned over all of the soil and chopped it up before adding several bags of compost and Sheep and Peat and raking it to create a mixture with the soil. To make sure all the hard work we'd done didn't just blow away we wanted to water the plot and ensure it stayed. I went over to the closest hose only to realize that the water for the DUG hasn't been turned on yet.  So, ironically, today I sit and pray for rain while the starter plants hang out on my office balcony.  I'm waiting to hear from the garden manager about when the water will be turned on... 

If gardening has taught me anything it's patience, but I'm so anxious to get started this year!!! I'm brought back to a sense of time pressure and urgency because I feel like I'm already running out of time and should be doing something greater or somehow I'll fail. For now, all I can do is find peace in the sights, smells, and sounds of my plot, take each day as it comes, and most of all, stop thinking the grass is greener, because it never really is.


Total Expense So Far: $65
Seeds, Starters, Compost: $30
DUG plot: $35

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