Poco Mountain Girl

In the past I haven’t been a great gardener. In fact, my enthusiastic first-garden efforts this spring resulted in a weed-smitten, drought-parched,  bird-snatched, woodchuck-chewed patch of withered plants. I did get a lovely plot of herbs that served me all summer; somehow they managed to survive the weeds, drought, and hungry creatures that engulfed their roommates.

So I’ve pulled back to do some strategic thinking, and I’ve decided to redouble my efforts next spring. To try to keep myself on track, I’ve devised a plan: a garden journal. In this journal, I’ll work out which veggies, herbs and flowers I want, design my plots, jot down tips for growing a healthy garden, and hopefully just fire myself up for this seeming indomitable task that lies before me.

Part of my inspiration is founded on a fun book I picked up for me n’ Z: Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots. It’s a great little read filled with innovative designs for kids’ gardens, the best (and worst) plants for kids to grow, and just some common sense tips and tricks.

I should also add that all my plans are founded on the fact (or hope) that Zia will be at the age and stage where digging in the dirt will be a great deal of fun for her, too. I don’t think there will be much question about that, though she may be more interested in digging UP seeds and plants than enjoying the fruit of them. Hey, it’s worth a try, anyway.

So the journal takes the form of an altered book: an existing volume that you, in a sense, remodel to fit your needs. I searched high and low till I found (in my own bookshelf) the perfect book: a small hardcover that featured the works of Van Gogh, with some text about his life and times. I didn’t feel too bad about sacrificing the book, since I’d already plucked most of its best pages to make art cards for Zia. A second great thing about using this book is the fact that Vincent painted so many gardens, so I plan on leaving a few of the finest in the journal to inspire my artistic side.

 

 

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 at 12:14 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.