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Friday, July 17, 2015

We're back! An introduction and a plea to get to know you, too.


It's about time I introduce myself. I'm Jennifer, friend to Marisa, whose beautiful family is pictured in the blog's masthead. I'm excited to write and share my enthusiasm for gardening. I am far, far from an expert on gardening, but I like it a lot -- and I think (hope!) that's the ingredient that counts.

I identify myself most through my five children, ages 7 to 19, who keep me just a wee bit busy. I'm a piano teacher with dirt under her fingernails. I guess I'm a nurturer at heart, for that is when I'm happiest -- and I learned early on the benefit of mixing time in my child-rearing day to tend plants that don't talk back. Working in the garden helps balance me. I love nothing more than my dusk weeding sessions ending in a game of catch with my boy.

I have a rather laissez-faire approach to gardening: "Oh, you like to grow there?" I may think about a volunteer plant. "Ok, then, you can stay." As a result, my gardens are more wild than tidy. A reflection of my thoughts if ever there was one. (Hmm ... does this paragraph suggest I talk to plants?)

In addition to the intangible harvests of gardening I also do it because I like to eat! For this blog I will write about the growing pains and successes in my backyard farm, as well as what I learn along the way from other gardeners. I want to raise chickens someday. I weathered a change in my city's ordinance that now allows chickens for my size lot, but I still need to get my husband on board.  We live in a 50-year-old home on a steep .19 acre lot. My greatest gardening challenges are slope, space and drought. I believe in matching plants to ambient conditions and letting the whole eco-system run with little interference. I don't use chemicals, but that's mostly because I don't like having to run out and buy one more thing, you know?

When Marisa started this blog in 2008 a band of other gardeners soon gathered and shared their insights through comments. I loved this! I want to recreate a sense of community among you, our readers. I know that you can find all sorts of information through the Internet, and I value that you choose to come here.

Will you do me a favor and introduce yourself? If you also have a gardening site please leave the address in your comment so we all can pay a visit.

Plus, my dandelion-blowing son, pictured above, is jockeying for computer time. When I told him I needed to do a post first he said, "Come on, Mom. No one reads your blog." Well! Would you address your comments to him? His name is Samuel.

Thanks. Come again!

5 comments:

Carie said...

Hi Samuel, I've loved reading your Mum's blog today! I'm Carie and I'm from England and my blog is mostly about parenting with a bit of knitting quilting and veggie growing thrown in for good measure. And as for the biggest challenge with my plot... Well I don't call it the Pocket Handkerchief Garden for nothing!!

daisy g said...

Hey Samuel! Looking forward to reading about your family's adventures in gardening and whatever else y'all want to talk about.
We blog at Maple Hill 101. We write about gardening, repurposing, thrift, scratch cooking and life in Central Florida. We even have a page dedicated to our son's Lego creations, in case that floats your boat. You're invited to share any outdoor posts on Tuesday's Maple Hill Hop! Enjoy your weekend!

David said...

Hey, Samuel, blogging is not dead just yet. I live in Nebraska fairly close to the Missouri river. My passion is to buy vacant lots that have gone into foreclosure from the city I live in and make them into gardens. So far I have two lots to develop and a backyard with four raised bed gardens to supply my kitchen table with fresh veggies. My blog http://olddavesgarden.blogspot.com/ is mostly about life as a gardener trying to tame a wild and forgotten vacant lot while balancing family life. I'm into my fourth year of growing gardens in two different locations. The third lot hasn't been developed just yet as the EPA wants to replace the contaminated soil due to battery factory spewing lead into the air 70 some years ago. When that's done then I'll decide what will happen to the lot.

I've read this blog for years. I was truly sad when it went silent for a long time but am glad to see it being resurrected with new life.

Have a great day and maybe someday you too will have a blog .... nah, maybe not. :-)

Becky said...

Hi Samuel!

I'm really glad your mom made this blog post, because I've loved this blog for years and really missed it! I love learning about other people's experiences with gardening and farming. I live near Winnipeg Manitoba - look that up on a map! - and have 75 acres of wilderness around me, with 5 acres tidied up for my plants and animals - a half acre of vegetables, 3 dogs, 4 Dexter cattle and 42 chickens (some that lay blue eggs), with 20 more due to hatch Friday! I've only been farming for a year and will use all the guidance I can find.

MAYBELLINE said...

Samuel, quit spreading dandelions, unless you like eating them.