Warmer temps have arrived and we're ready! Last year a migraine killed my June. This year I'm EXCITED; quarantine keeps me home, in my yard and close to my garden! We've started tigerella tomato seeds, purple brussels sprouts, rainbow chard, cucumbers, celery. There are many seeds sprouting and giving me hope for a busy spring and fruitful summer!

A harvest is something to be proud of. This year my garden didn't work out how I had hoped, however I still got produce. I enjoyed each bite and shared my harvest with others when I could. It was fulfilling despite being less than I had hoped for. I know the time I spent outside in my garden was so good for my body and mind that it's about more than the outcome. I appreciate my garden for the benefits it brings my body long before harvest time!

Step One: Creating your space! First, you have to decide and commit to a space.

Step Two: Then you need to edge it out and create a line that you will be happy with. It is important to consider how you will mow around your design!

Step Three: Removing the grass is important. Take the time to remove it all before placing a barrier edge of some sort. I usually use a simple black plastic roll of edging. I want it to keep grass out of my garden without being distracting. It's simple and does the job!

Step Four: Use a rake to smooth out the soil, add dirt and smooth again.

Step Five: When the temperature and forecast allow plant your seeds! Select seeds carefully; pay attention to if they're perennial or annual. Always keep pollinators in mind!

I am a modest gardener. I take pieces of plants from the gardens of my family members and grow approximately 90% of my plants (flowers and veg) from seed. You will not find me loading up flat boxes full of plants at the garden center. Maxx and I make one trip to the garden center and we work cooperatively to create one planter for the patio and we get one 4-pack of wave petunias for our hanging baskets, that's it. For the rest we cross our fingers, sprinkle seeds in the dirt, water and WAIT...

This year we've been researching flowers to use in a pollinator garden. In addition to worrying about the bees, we're also concerned about the bats. We'll be mounting a bat house in our north-facing side yard, near our veggie beds. I'll update your on our veggie beds, the perennial beds and our new pollinator garden addition, coming soon! I don't expect to have any bat updates, as the house has to be in a safe location for a long duration before potential inhabitants will trust it, but if some bat should find our bat house worthy of calling home, i'll let you know! I'll know they're there by the guano!