I am a lover of nature, a tree hugger, and a garden planter, woot woot! I believe our main goal on Earth is to keep the human race alive along with this amazing wonderful planet we call home. Eating fresh home grown veggies is part of Juicy Living!!!!
So we have been planting a garden now for the last 5 years strong. It took sooooooo incredibly long to figure out how to do successful gardening in Arizona. So many things about it are different then other states in the US. Our planting season for instance is October through April, for most states it's too cold for gardening at that time. Our AZ soil needs so much love and nutrients in it too. Getting the soil right is almost the most important thing you can do. And exactly when to plant what is also so crucial.
We have got our rhythm now, we know we put black plastic over the whole garden when we leave for the summer - I know plastic sucks but it works and we keep reusing the same one each year. This was a phenomenal addition to our garden regime. It kills all the weeds and nut grass and makes it easy when we return to just take the plastic off, get some new yummy nutrient rich top soil and plant away. Learning where certain veggies grow best, which ones need to wait until January and which ones work better when you start with a plant vs. seed. All of this was learned the hard way, one season at a time. I think most Arizonans get frustrated because most of their hard work does not pay off and they don't ever garden again. Don't give up! Take notes and really pay attention to what is working and what isn't. Each year it gets a little easier.
This October I planted seeds for lettuces, onions, carrots, beets, bok choy, kale, cilantro, parsley, and basil. There is nothing better than going out to the garden and picking fresh veggies to make a salad! OMG! It feels so good and is much more tasty too. A fresh carrot has so much more flavor than one in a grocery store!! I also planted a bunch of wildflowers, those colors and textures make my heart sing, not to mention the incredibly wonderful smell. I love being surrounded by vibrant colors - they lift you up. You can tell from my paintings I LOVE an uplifting orange or turquoise! Can't get enough!!! I can't wait 'til the garden is in bloom!!!
