Maybe You Got To Me

As a young North Carolina boy I was forced by my parents to hand-sprig a 1/2 acre lawn during the time my friends were playing. I then mowed it every summer until I left home at 18. The words that I would use to express how I have felt about lawns, or gardens, or anything botanical are not suited for such fine folk as yourself. Let's just say that up until I met my wife (15 years ago), my favorite lawn was one that was fully paved. But I married a North Carolina girl who loved flowers, and flowering bushes, and fruit trees, and insisted that we buy a home with a yard that she could enjoy. We have arguably the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood with roses, azaleas, peach trees, asian pear tree, and even beautifully colored pansies around the mail box. Through the years she insisted I accompany her on a "yard tour." What that meant at the time, was I must follow mother earth (my wife) and endure a tour of every tree and bush around our yard with her discourse on how magnificent it was. While I appreciated her love for it, I can tell you honestly those "tours" were ....shall we say ....arduous. I loved her, but I lived in fear of another "yard tour" which was inevitable. But her persistence resulted in some degree of interest in the life of our yard, which included more than just the plants, but birds (to include harks that nest nearby) and rabbits, and the actual aromas around us. And then she watched a TV special about SFG. I happened to be in the room and watched trying to figure out what it was about that topic that could possibly interest her. At the conclusion I was spell-bound and asked my wife (who is employed by the local county library system) to get me that book, ALL NEW SFG. Since I obtained that book, I have reduced the amount of time I spend with my true passion....the one thing that gives my life meaning and purpose (not counting, of course, my career or family) -- playing the guitar -- playing blues guitar. I'm only on page 107 of ALL NEW SFG ("How To Plant Your All New Square Foot Garden"). But I've crossed over to the dark side (you would call it "light") . I even went to Lowe's today looking for the availability and price of the needed materials and supplies for Mel's Mixture, lumber, etc.(I don't think I've ever been to Lowes garden section without my wife...ever). Now I make no promises (remember that). But I did tell my wife that I wanted to try to do this SFG'ing thing. She, of course, was enthusiastic and encouraging. I'm hoping you will be too. I'll have lots of questions and they'll probably be pretty simplistic. Fortunately, my wife will be able to interpret your answers if I can't. Here is my plan: (1) Finish the book; (2) agree on the placement of our SQF (we have shade and full sun and combinations); (3) buy the supplies; (4) make the boxes and structures (we have wots of wabbits); (5) plant the seeds; (6) grow our own food; and (7) have fun (not as much fun as blues guitar, but fun nonetheless). I don't know enough yet to ask for your advice, but I'll ask for your support. My wife will sure appreciate it too.

Welcome to the Forums and support you will get! Help too. So keep coming back. We're glad we "got you." You won't be sorry.

Happy reading -- happy gardening.

newbie here too id welcome to sfg we're all here to help eachother thru thick and thinning <----- sad attempte at garden joke


boog/mike

boog wrote: thru thick and thinning <----- sad attempte at garden joke
boog/mike

I like it-but thanks for pointing it out or I would have missed it!

Hi,
I think you will love sfg. Once you have your squares set up and running, the maintenance will be much less time consuming and you'll have plenty of time for the blues guitar.

My husband is a drummer and feels the same way you do about the garden tours- loves the flowers and veggies but not necessarily the long-winded explanations! However, my raised beds, cold frame and any garden "hardware" that require even basic woodworking skills are all made by him.

This site is a wealth of information so you are in good company.

Happy gardening!

Idsquare wrote:Through the years she insisted I accompany her on a "yard tour." What that meant at the time, was I must follow mother earth (my wife) and endure a tour of every tree and bush around our yard with her discourse on how magnificent it was. While I appreciated her love for it, I can tell you honestly those "tours" were ....shall we say ....arduous. I loved her, but I lived in fear of another "yard tour" which was inevitable.

That's me!


Only we called it a "walk-about". Finally I decided to try veggie gardening so at least she would talk about something I was interested in out in the yard! This was pre-sfg for me, and I intentionally spread out the raised beds so she would have to......walk-about!

I won't tell your wife, if you don't tell mine.

hello from ohio. new to SFG as well so hope fully we all can help each other. for me looking to start small and move up plus working with my daughter on this so need to keep simple but looking good at the same time.

Hello eaglescout94! Welcome to the Forums

I'm in northeast Ohio. It's part of the Northern and Central Midwest Forum. I hope you will check in there too.

I'm glad to hear that you are starting small. That's the best way in my opinion. This is a simple way to garden and the best part is NO WEEDS! So all the time you spend in your garden will be planting, looking, and picking.

Have fun and let us know how we can be helpful.

LOL, I play drums so yeh I can relate to dividing up my time between the drums and garden. They're both fun, just in different ways