My project

As a "tribute" to my grandparents, I am going to try a big garden this year. My grandparents were amazing human beings and I miss them dearly. They grew unbelievably huge, prosperous gardens year after year. To walk in that sandy warm soil barefoot each summer when we visited was pure heaven, and harvesting with Grandma was the best. I was always amazed at her ability to bend over at the waist, blood rushing to her head, and pick things for what seemed like hours on end. After we'd collect the beans, or peas, or whatever we were picking that day, we'd bring the ice cream pails back to Grandpa, who'd be sitting under the covered porch in that old metal chair, and he'd work on shelling the peas or snapping the beans. Grandma was an incredible cook, gardener, and quilter among other things, and never forgot to notice the beauty of her surroundings each day. Grandpa was truly larger than life. His presence filled a room more fully than anyone I've ever known. Almost three years later, I still can't believe he's gone—anytime I hear the Brewers playing on the radio, I am sure he is sitting outside in his Cadillac on a warm day listening to the game. People came from far and wide to visit and hear him tell his stories, or sit and play a game of cards or cribbage with him. I miss their smell, the feel of Grandma's soft face and the cadence of Grandpa's wooden leg as he walked across the floor, their voices, but most of all their presence. Grandparents can be a powerful influence on their grandchilden—don't ever underestimate the legacy you may leave for others without even knowing it. I loved them fiercely. If only they were still here to give me the gardening advice I so need now that I have a home that has room and sunshine for a garden.

So, though I asked many questions then and thought I'd hang on to all that knowledge until I finally had the "right place" to grow my own garden, I still feel like I know nothing and this will be a huge learning curve. I have grown tomatoes and a few herbs before, but nothing like the full blown garden I am going to attempt this year. And, between abundant wildlife and limited knowledge, much may fail, but I will still enjoy trying. So, I have started the first steps, which are googling like mad, and trying to start some things from seed. Below, you'll see cantaloupe, two kinds of tomatoes, and bell peppers, or at least that's what I see in my overblown imagination.

I have ten pots in my hopes for seedlings. I'll keep my fingers crossed!