Black Thumb, Me

Every time I’ve attempted gardening or kept houseplants it’s led to a disastrous ending. I’m not really sure why  but I suspect I shower them (quite literally) with too much love or forget about them altogether.  I have even killed cactus.  Oh the shame!

Before having a baby I managed to keep a couple plants alive for more than a year.   But in the first six months of the babymoon, I completely neglected them. They only managed to get my attention once the leaves had dropped but by then it was too late. Off to the bin they went, me winging all the while about how I was a plant killer and would never get it right!  In an effort to make myself feel better I resorted to decorating my apartment with bits of green here and there to bring a little nature inside.  I’ve even put a green rug in the living room just so I can imagine healthy living grass underfoot.  It’s pathetic really.

Turning Over a New Leaf

I come from a family of natural born gardeners.  When I was a child, my mom spent hours taking care of the yard.  She planted pansies and marigolds amongst other lovely living things.  But even then my green thumb days were numbered.  I remember one summer I ‘helped’ my mom with her garden by pulling out all the marigolds and rearranging them the way I thought they should be.  I think I killed them all but my mom was probably too kind to say anything.  It’s time to get over that.

This year I’ve decided that one of the best ways to shed this black thumb of mine is to

dive in headfirst.  I have an 18 month old baby now who I seem to be feeding and watering regularly, surely tending a garden would be old hat by now.  So, I signed up for a community garden plot in the Olympic Village.   It’s a lovely spot amongst the 40 odd plots that were up for grabs through The Village on False Creek Community Garden Society.  For 40 bucks a year I’ve got a plot all to myself.

Therapy? Perhaps

I can’t believe that I’m saying this, but I am giddy with the prospect of growing a few carrots of my own.  I love the idea of including my little munchkin too.  At the moment he really shies away from getting his hands dirty, so much like his dad he is!  I think this experiment will be therapeutic for all of us.  I am also looking forward to meeting my neighbouring gardeners who will no doubt take pity on me when they spot these less than green thumbs.  It’s going to be a great summer!

So here’s the plan.  I will be posting pictures and blogging about the trials and tribulations of my community gardening experiment. I’m looking forward to seeing those first green shoots poke out of the soil!

I would love it if you would participate too.  If you have questions or comments, I want to hear them.  Is it a deal?  I need all the help I can get.

Thanks for reading.

Namaste