mary, mary, quite contrary

My first baby. Well, my first green baby that is. Even though I haven't blogged in ummmm....a really long time, I thought I'd pick up where I left off...my garden. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as I'd planned. It started out hopeful, and when I discovered what I thought was Larry the Cucumber (turns out cucumbers and zucchini are very different), I was in heaven!! Turning back that first leaf and finding a giant green treasure almost as big as half of my arm nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes!! I had done it!! But that was about the height of my gardening success. Lots and lots of zucchini. Turns out gardens and beagles are a not so good combination. And... gardens do need lots of tending. Tending I was very eager to give, just not when all of our hard work was readily destroyed at the hands, or should I say paws, of one very mischevious canine.

So here it was, nearing the end of summer, and I'd harvested about a dozen potatoes (the size of golf balls...did make a decent potato salad I suppose), a little bitter lettuce, and LOTS of yep... zucchini. Did I mention no one in our family likes zucchini?? Fortunately, they like zucchini bread. And I did find that you can't taste it in spaghetti sauce... or shredded finely in a green salad. Everything else was planted in vain....strawberries gobbled down by my furry four legged nemesis at the peak of ripeness, corn stalks shredded after they had just reached one foot in height, watermelons and pumpkin ripped from the vine...sickening I tell you. Why we keep this wretched creature is beyond me. It's because, for some reason, my dear husband thinks she's wonderful. Although it's always the case that he likes the idea of the pet, more than the animal itself I think...

It is now September, and I will be starting our garden again, because I now have a way of keeping the enemy out. I have a fence. Which was of course an issue in and of itself...

Me: "Babe. I'm going to call Rick because I really need a nice fence around the garden to keep Amber out. Or maybe I'll just see if Clint will do it."

Him: "No. I'll do it for you. It's just a fence, how hard could it be?" (this is where I should have been suspicious...)

Me: "Really?! You'll do it?! When?!"

Him: "Soon. This weekend."

I could hardly believe my ears. I started envisioning it. A 4ft high, black, rod iron decorative fence with a nice little gate...maybe some cute detailing in the metal work...

Me: (a few days later) "So let's go to Lowe's Saturday morning so I can find my fence!!"

Him: "No. we don't need to go to Lowe's. I already found the fence. We'll pick it up tomorrow."

Me: "If it's not at Lowe's, then where are we getting the fence??"

Him: "At the Tractor Supply." ...huh?????

(long pause) This is where I see my vision crumbling before my eyes...

Me: "Really? They have decorative fencing at the Tractor Supply??"

Him "I've got it taken care of, Kate. You'll have the fence."

Me: "But I didn't tell you what kind of fence I want. See...It's black with these little swirly thingies..."

Him: "Well, the one you're getting is a little different. Your garden is 10x10, right?"

Me: "Ummm, yeah... but what do you have in mind...?"

Him: "Perfect. I found a 6ft high chain link fence dog run at the Tractor Supply. For $200. We'll put it up tomorrow."

And that's when I realized that no amount of whining would help. I'd better just be glad I was getting a fence at all, because lord knows my not so handy, procrastinating, project hating husband was already stretching pretty far to even agree to put up a chain link dog run. Crap. It wouldn't be pretty, but at least it would be functional. And yes, functional it is. I think I can even plant some berry vines to crawl it at least. And, it may not boast style and character, but he did do it for me. without complaining. So, Next week we will start over with our winter garden. Not really sure what goes in a winter garden, but I'm pretty sure it's not zucchini. :)