At my wonderful husband's encouraging, I've decided to start this blog. Mostly about the trials and tribulations of gardening in South Ajax. And life in general. He's inspired me with his blog.

When I was growing up, my Dad was an avid gardener, mostly vegetables. So of course I was roped into "harvest time". As a teenaged girl, who was obsessed with guys, the last thing I wanted to do on the weekends was pick carrots, tomatoes, etc. Because I viewed it as a chore, I didn't want anything to do with gardening.

Then I hit my late thirties, living in a house to help my parents (then in their seventies). My Dad wasn't well and couldn't garden any more so we sodded over the entire back yard and I hung pre-made baskets around the backyard. And I decided in my "wisdom" to get rid of everything in the front yard and plant all alysum and pansies ... in a 7' x 25' garden. In a western facing garden. For those of you who know anything about gardening, you're probably chuckling...by mid-July, I ripped up all the pansies (they had gotten terriby leggy and overgrown) and replaced them with Celosia and Dusty Miller. Much better choice.

Then Dad passed away in November. The following summer I started to dig up the sod out back with just a shovel (I don't recommend this ... rent a sod-cutter). Started a 10' x 20' garden. Thought for some reason I'd "give it a whirl". And that's when the addiction started. Since then Barry and I bought the house (I kept leaving and coming back over the years so I figured I was meant to own the blasted thing), and we now have no grass in the back or the sides and about 15'x25' in the front, surrounded by gardens.

So I'd love to hear from those of you who have fun, frustrating, silly stories about your experiences in gardening ... wherever you live. The season is just beginning. I'll be posting pictures along the way. Gardens are never really finished. Especially mine. I change my mind like I change my socks.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Sandy