First Visit

We decided to make our first visit to the garden sans kids, so we could focus without having to worry about the girls getting in the mix. It turned out the only other gardeners there were a family of five -- two adults and three kids, so it's reassuring to know we won't be ousted if we bring our brood. Although we didn't cross paths with our plot-mate Stan, he kindly laid out most of the walkway we needed to create, which made our jobs quicker and easier. Even better, I had forgotten that Jill and Ian had experimented with their own backyard vegetable garden, so they offered a wealth of knowledge about the dirt quality (pretty good, but lots of clay), drainage (good), and grass clogs (which we removed). After completing the walkway for the garden, we put together our action plan, assigned jobs and dashed off to our respective kids.

Loaded up with Advil, I returned home to garden project #2 -- mulch. A truckload of mulch sat on our driveway ready for distribution. Though it took most of the afternoon to fill, dump and spread the mulch around the house, we wound up saving a bundle doing it ourselves. Plus, it was a good workout eventhough my back and neck will be feeling it as soon as the Advil wears off. No doubt, we'll all sleep well tonight.