I am the luckiest girl in the world! I have a wonderful guy that loves me to death, and the best kiddos on the planet! They know that one of my favorite pastimes is cooking and baking wonderful things for them - and we love fresh and organic homegrown vegies and fruits more than anything! Our last home in suburban Minneapolis was built on rich and fertile farmland - dark, loamy soil that was deeper than we could dig! Our garden was magnificent and a hobby that we all enjoyed - from planting seeds when the kids were little, to finding big juicy worms for fishing, to harvesting gorgeous vegetables and fruits for our table, and sharing what seemed like never-ending garden produce with family and neighbors. Fast forward to northeast Ohio - land of clay. Digging down six inches is a painful experience, and we have broken more shovels that I can count. Even large trees are not planted deep in this part of the country - and landscaping and trees require yards of mulch every year. We may have gained several months of mild weather and growing time, but every year it has been a painful and protracted period of getting the garden ready. And the deep and thick woods around our subdivision offer wildlife in numbers that continue to grow - we have a herd of deer that have a daily trek that takes them thru our yard munching on my flowers and garden plants as they go. They hang out in the grassy fields behind our house - and the group just keeps getting bigger each year! Nothing seems to be safe - the deer visit decks and patios and help themselves to container gardens, and can jump 4 to 5 foot fences from a dead standstill. After being forced to re-plant gardens two or three times each season, many of our neighbors have either placed large fences around their gardens or given up on gardening altogether. Other than my rhubarb, raspberries and fresh herbs, I was just about ready to end the fight as well. You can't even begin to imagine my joy when my family created a garden wonderland for us! A trio of raised garden beds run 26 feet each, with plenty of room (and separation) for everything I dream of planting! Screening under each garden container will keep any garden pests out, and soaker hoses have been snaked thru the boxes to maximize watering. Seven foot garden fencing will keep the deer and other roaming wildlife out of our garden. The raised garden boxes will provide an easy frame for any cover needed for those early spring freeze and frost warnings - but I sure hope we are past that now and just ready to start planting and growing! Paving stones in the walkway will keep it muddy-free, and a little Jimmy Buffett while planting will keep things mellow and happy! I have separate gardens for my rhubarb plants and different raspberry and blueberry bushes - our family favorites deserve their own special spots! And I'll keep at least some fresh herbs planted in my beautiful blue ceramic planters and near my patio door, just a step away for snipping and adding to recipes when I cook. The fresh basil, rosemary and pineapple sage smell SO GOOD! Truly the best Mother's Day gift ever - the time, creative energy and hard work that went into making this is a dream come true!
Words aren't enough...hugs and kisses aren't enough. But fresh, ripe homegrown tomatoes and other garden treats? Now we're talking thank you! My Mom would have LOVED this garden! Happy Mother's Day to you all! Love, Mama V
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