insanity

Every year as summer ends, I hate myself and wonder why on earth I EVER planted a garden.  The weeds have taken over, people laugh, it looks to be a mess, and I simply have no time for it.  So I spend the entire winter refusing to look at seed catalogues or other such ideas, and then... spring comes. I buy one small packet of seeds, and we're off.

Of course, this year will be different (hahahahaha).  Last year I tried straw bale gardening, which did okay. After the garden was finished, we left the fence door open and the chickens tore the remaining bales apart and kept the garden scratched up all winter. So this year, I didn't even till it. Just hoed up my rows and planted (and closed the makeshift garden back, which almost wouldn't meet the fence post). So for three days the chickens walked around the fence forlornly, peering in at one of their favorite spots to scratch.

And now?  We currently have peas sprouting, along with one cucumber and two squash plants. Time will tell about the remainder. And, I've yet to plant the okra or tomatoes, though I have reserved a row for them. Maybe next week.

So I've almost guaranteed at some point this summer you'll be hearing about how frustrated I am trying to keep weeds out of the garden. Maybe this will actually be the year that I can stay on top of it. A girl can always dream.