I am starting a garden. After years of dreaming of a garden, and waxing nostalgic about my childhood vegetable garden with my father, I’ve decided that I’m doing it for real this year. I even went out and bought a hand shovel today. How’s THAT for commitment? Plus, I’ve got seeds from my father’s garden, seeds from the Korean store, and just…plain…seeds to sow.
The house I live in has enough of a yard for a vegetable garden–yet it’s taken me years to start one.
I’ve been eyeing a large patch of ground for my vegetable garden for years–the problem is that it’s on a very vertical slope. After years of planning tiers and other fancy options, I’ve decided to just go for it, without the tiers, and on a slope. I just don’t care anymore, I’m going to see where the land leads me. If nothing grows, so be it.
And maybe I’ll sneak in some of the more attractive vegetables throughout the rest of the more formal (and tiered) garden. Some green onions amidst the fuschia and hydrangeas could be interesting!
Writing Under a Pseudonym 
Hello, and I have lurked for a bit, feeling unable to comment and disturb you with all that you have been going through. I wish you all the strength you are going to need.
Where we are living it is very hilly, and when they don’t bother to terrace, they simply scoop the earth on the downhillside a little higher, leveling it out a bit, and creating the faintest whisper of a dam wall, just to create a touch of ponding…very doable with a hand trowel.
Good luck with your garden.
oreneta–thank you! that will be a handy tip later this week as I garden. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words, too.
Ah, lucky you to be in a climate where you can begin thinking of your garden! Here in Cleveland, we have another snowstorm coming.
But I’m going throughout the house and garage tracking down my tools, discovering the odd places where I abandoned them last fall. I’ll be ready when the weather breaks.
Oh! Call me weird but I envy your snowstorm–it sounds tremendous and beautiful, Kristin!
Hi, I’ve sort of been lurking, too. there really are no words i can think of to ease your grief, and I worry about saying the wrong thing.
but as our lives seem to be running with parallel coincidences, I’ve started a garden for the first time too. Only I’ve started with indoor pots of herbs to be transplanted outside once they germinate. So far, I have oregano, chives and basil. I was going to plant watermelon without telling my husband to surprise him, but he found the packet of seeds in the kitchen. oh well.
That’s so awesome about starting your own patch! And I can’t help but notice the delicious 참외 you’re about to plant…
Yay! Caring for a garden can be tremendously relaxing, I find. You might consider growing some things in pots if the slope is too tough to deal with…Lots of veggies grow just fine in containers. I’ve got some peas coming along in a big pot on my deck right now.
Good luck with the new planting…I’m curious to hear more about the Korean veggies.
lucy–it’s okay to lurk or to shout out. 🙂 i welcome your being here. i like your idea of a pot of herbs!
nequila–yah, you spotted it! i also have “flavon” (ssook-ggat), korean perilla (dul ggae), Korean radish, and korean eggplant…can’t wait. plus do-ra-jee (and other seeds direct from Korea like “chui namul”) from my dad’s garden. i have decided it is time to start my garden.
elizabeth–i also like your idea of containers. i think i may do half in containers, the other half (like the vines) in the ground. i think that’ll be my set of errands on Friday!
omg! please invite me over when you are ready to show off your garden! my bu-chu and go-chu are starting to take over my garden…I really need to add new veggies. did you go to KP for the seeds?
Mmm. I love that Korean melon. I’m so not a melon fan, but when I had that melon in Korea, I loved it. I used to have space for a garden back in Minnesota, but now am limited to mostly container gardening. Boo! Have fun! Gardening is good for the soul.
twicetherice: yes, those Korean melons are incredibly unique and tasty, aren’t they?
ihategreenpeas: I *did* go to Koreana Plaza for the seeds! But there are some other Korea-specific seeds I inherited from my dad’s vegetable garden.
Gardening is very therapeutic, so I’m told 🙂 I’ve wanted to redo our gardens forever, but haven’t made the time for it. Sounds like a fun project.
Hi there! I just posted garden pictures today. If you need any bay area tips, just email me.
Jade…someone once told me that chocolate was a vegetable but I have never seen anyone grow it yet. Good luck on your garden….growing things is very theraputic I think.
yay! we do both have gardens! (i’ve been super behind on reading lately…) i found rooting around in the dirt super-relaxing. and it makes me so happy to see lady bugs crawling around the dirt and johnny jump-ups!