I have already proudly mentioned couple of time that I started gardening. Probably way too many times, no? Well, actually it is really a big deal for me, you know! That’s why even my tiny successes in this connection are a source of my great pride (LOL!)! I was born and raised as a total city girl. Of course I knew that tomatoes and potatoes don’t grow in supermarkets, but that for quite a while was pretty much all I knew about tomatoes and potatoes (giggle). We never had a summer house with a garden, I didn’t visit farms simply because where I was growing up there were no farms available for a visit. The closest I ever got to seeing what does the country life look like was couple of visits to the cousin of my granny who did live in one of the villages and had a garden. What I remember was that it was hot, dirty, I stepped in the cow shit while walking through the field and totally ruined my sneakers, I was bitten by mosquitoes a lot and I accidentally saw how a rooster was beheaded with an ax… So I returned to the city and swore never ever to get myself off an asphalt again.

Now for the last two years we live in the village with a garden (lovely twist of fate, ain’t it?). Our house is adjacent to the field where in spring they bring cows to graze and in the end of a summer they switch cows for horses. So literally when I look outside, at a distance of something like 4 meters (~13 feet) there are grazing cows or horses or from time to time jumping hares or running pheasants. Actually seeing a cat or a dog is nowadays much more rare and spectacular. But I am deviating. Back to the garden.

It felt right to give it a try. We have plenty of space, it is nice for kids to see how vegetables grow, and although I never bothered myself much with “let’s eat organic” and so on – I thought why not. The funny thing is that I started gardening last year still with pretty much of a city girl mentality. I made a Power Point presentation (no kidding!) on different types of vegetables that I am planning to plant… And while doing so I discovered a whole new world that I never knew existing. Like with almost everything I do, I dived right into the very depth – I followed a permaculture design course, read tons of materials about square-foot gardening and companion planting, I was theoretically equipped. No, I still think that it was needed, and especially in my case, but the problem was that although theoretically ready I was far from being ready to actually start. And recalling this brings a smile to my face.

I had my planting plan, I had my boxes (because in the end I opted for the square foot garden and my husband made them for me), I had my gloves, I had my seeds, I had my new rubber boots (fancy green with dots and a bow at the side). And then came the planting season… So I actually had to get myself away from my nice and neat Power Point (ouch!), put on these rubber boots and go digging (double ouch!). It was then that I had an actual argument with my husband who was telling me – “Start, it’s already time, look at the weather!” But I was replying – “I cannot plant now, my Power Point says I have to do it next month only!” A city girl…

In the end I did listen to my husband and went on to plant before the time indicated in the Power Point. And miraculously it worked. My first ever planting season brought me very tasty zucchinis, broccoli, mint, spinach and potatoes, beautiful nasturtium and chamomile for my tea infusions. It was actually an amazing feeling to see how that tiny seed you put in the ground first turns into small green sprouts and then step-by-step transforms into something beautiful and eventually tasty!

This year I am going for more variety but my planting plan is just a scribbling on a piece of paper and no longer a polished presentation. An evolution of consultancy to reality, huh? But most importantly I understood that it makes more sense to look outside and adjust yourself to the nature, rather than try to precisely follow the planting calendar. Besides, I am no longer scared to get my hands dirty if that is needed. And my tomatoes and paprika are already planted in a seed germination box and are ready to be re-planted very soon. So the city girl is definitely evolving!…