Mary Mary Quite Contrary

.....how does your garden grow???  Apparently Mary is not a south Louisiana girl because while she is busy with silver bells and cockle shells, I've got this going on...

Real garden growing!!  We took one section of our 3 acre property and began, what will hopefully become, a garden retreat for many years to come.  While we have always had a "garden" we really never had the space to create the size or style garden we really wanted.  Now that we have the space and have laid the ground work, maybe after a few years we will have the sanctuary we dream of.  In la-la-fairytale-land it would look something like this...

photo via Southern Living

Photo via Southern Living

For now, here is what we have done...and it has been soooo much fun.
There is just something about being outside with your hands in the dirt that
just makes the whole world float away.

First we painted our "raised bed boxes" that big daddy boy built for us.

And while we painted he tilled up the ground.

Then big daddy boy filled the boxes with good dirt and horse manure (yummy) 

and made 'em all level and stuff (nothing important or fun)!

And after many weekends spent outside, a farmers tan, and a serious need for a mani pedi, 

here is what we have.  Im so sorry Mary, Mary, but we have no silver bells or cockle shells, 

but I do have tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, snap beans, lima beans, purple hull peas, 

bell peppers, 4 rows of corn, muscadines, and satsumas.

And check out my "orchard" in the background.  Big daddy boy says one day it really will look like an orchard...Im hopeful!  We have peach, pear, and plum trees!!!  We still have to build our picket fence around the entire garden and plant a rose garden around the girls play house (that is what that white thing is in the middle there...please forgive me, I just assumed that of course you would know what that was...ha).   I will keep you updated on how my garden is growing!!