Who Knew?

I am not a gardener even if sometimes I pretend to be one. Pretending is very different than actually being a seasoned pro filled with all sorts of handy agricultural knowledge. I want to be that person, but my life is currently being filled with other sorts of knowledge and there is only so much I can take in at once! Maybe in my next season...for now, I'll just keep pretending.

Sometimes, at least on the surface, it is hard to tell the difference between a pro and a pretender if you just give a quick glance. Sure, if you look at my front garden you might be impressed with my Hostas the size of small economy cars. However, if you thought about it, you'd know a real gardener would have already divided those babies and spread the Hosta love. I'll admit it. This pretend gardener is a wienie when it comes to actually digging in and breaking up my beautiful plants. Next year, I will have no choice....as several of them are beginning to overtake my dogwood tree. At least this summer, I can sit on my porch and gaze upon them as if I really had ANYTHING to do with their beauty. (more pretending going on here....)

Where you would have really found me out was in my backyard, though. Last summer we had a successful vegetable garden and for the first time ever the beds were ready for some spring planting this year. So, I picked up some seeds at the local Lowes Hardware. There were seeds of the Pea, Lettuce, Radish and Carrot variety in my bag. Due to the weather being a little wacky and actually very cold late March, I didn't get them in when I had hoped. I have NO idea if they would have been fine or not....but again, I'm NOT a gardener.

Radishes were very successful. Almost too successful. I only like to eat a couple of radishes...and I found that really no one else here really likes them. So, maybe I didn't need to plant a hundred or so...but they were very good for the pretend gardener ego.

(Also, maybe I didn't really plant a hundred....or maybe I did.)

Carrots...well, WHO KNEW that they actually took so long to mature. I am going to have some success with them...but they are in the way of my summer planting and many of them are getting pulled early. Lesson learned for next year. It was exciting to pull them out and see little orange carrots....about the size of the skinniest little baby carrots in the baby carrot bag that you sometimes hold up and say, "AWW, look at this wittle baby one." Now, don't even PRETEND that you've never done that!

Peas are now producing and are actually pretty yummy and sweet. We got our first handful yesterday and by the looks of things I expect we will have many, many handfuls. I think I might have even gotten this one right on the first try. Today we had to tie a few of them up to clear the rest of the bed for beans, but they are actually looking good. Even a pretend gardener can get lucky every once in a while.

Now, about the lettuce. I can't say it wasn't successful. Hehe...but, I can say it was TOO successful. WHO KNEW that those little bitty seeds would produce more lettuce leaves then we could eat in the entire summer? K would go out and cut a bunch to fill a bowl for dinner. Before the week was over the spot was filled back in with new leaves. We've had some incredibly yummy salads this spring. Unfortunately for us, lettuce doesn't do well in the sweltering heat AND besides I needed the space for my beans. So, last night we pulled the lettuce.

By the way, if you're in the area and need some tomorrow....just let me know! I already invited my neighbor over last night and I told her to bring a big bowl. I still have about 6 gallon bags full in the fridge that need to be cleaned and eaten this week.

Guess what's on the menu this week!?

Just maybe I'll be a real gardener one of these days!!
Til then, I'm doing fine just pretending!!