When the hubs and I moved into our house, it was an exciting change, but by far the best part was the chance to grow a garden. We both grew up in homes with great gardens, and I was eager to finally have the chance to create my own. I had images of climbing green vines, colorful blooms, and lush growth everywhere. In my imagination, we would create a wild English cottage garden in Northeast DC.
Yeah...
As it turns out, it's actually a bit labor-intensive to start a garden. There's consideration about what will grow well in the region, when certain plants should go in the ground, where they will thrive best in the yard... not to mention those squirmy worms that live in the ground. Oh boy, those worms. In all of my fantasizing, I had forgotten about the creepy-crawlies that live in the dirt and make themselves known as you start digging around. Those were a delightful surprise.
Are our gardens magazine-worthy? Maybe not. But they are ours, and though they are young, they reflect the joy and hard work we put into our first house in our first year of marriage. We will add to them over time, even if this house is only ours until next fall. Sometimes it's not about creating a magnificent space. Sometimes it's about creating a special space, digging in the dirt, feeling the sun on your shoulders, and knowing that you are so very alive.
