How To Spend the First Weekend of Spring

I don't know how other people celebrated the first official day of Spring but, I started prepping for my garden. I consider it a celebration because, up until Hugh sketched the design for my raised beds, I wasn't convinced that there would be a garden. It is a long-running joke in our household that the key to any Hugh Project is the official napkin sketch.

The design includes three 12' x 4' sections, connected to form a U shape. Hugh intends to build them with an internal irrigation system that will rely on gravity to soak each section, which should cut down on the time that I spend watering. The raised beds should also cut down on the time I spend weeding as well as producing higher yields in my harvest.

I have already started the planting plan; I am going to do companion planting so that I can make the best use of the space. In all my years of planting a vegetable garden, I  never really delved into companion planting, which probably explains why I had good years and bad years and lots of super buggy years. Fingers crossed that doing it right this year will actually lead to fewer squash bugs.

The first thing that needed to be done prior to the planting of anything, companions or not, was the clearing of my garden space, and, with nice weather on Saturday, I figured I might as well get to it. This entailed getting rid of an old potting station and a large equipment storage locker; each of which had seen better days. 

I also needed to haul off a lot of branches that Hugh had cut from the tree above the garden last summer, as well as raking the leaves that had accumulated along the fence and among the branches. Some of the leaves will find their way into the large blue trashcan in the garden, to be used in my compost barrel throughout the summer. The rest will either get hauled off or burned; we haven't decided which.

I am going to have Hugh move the large pavers into place next to the shed, and, I hope to find a cute wicker or wrought iron loveseat to fill the space. 

This chore took the better part of the day, and, by Sunday I was ready for something less dirty, so, I cleaned myself up and joined The Newlyweds for bottomlesss mimosas and brunch at one of the nicest restaurants in Hooterville.

It was a great way to spend the first weekend of Spring. It was also my attempt to start to live by a quote that I read recently: Use your weekends to create the life you wish to live, not to escape the life you are living.

That's some great advice there.

On a side note: my Mom is in the hospital back home. She's ok; she had a reaction to an antibiotic that she started taking recently, but, prayers are always appreciated. Also, I can't wait until we get her moved over here so that we can be better caregivers as well as having her here to enjoy things like this garden. She deserves that.

Secondary side note: Queen B and the Rodeo Princess are smack dab in between the fires that are raging in Texas. They have an evacuation plan and they are taking it seriously, so I am maintaining my calm. If you are the praying type and haven't already said one for Texas, please think about doing so. My mama heart would be grateful.