Garden recap

Gardening is not for me.

I'm glad we gave it a try, but I just don't see myself tending gardens year after year. It seems like we invested a lot into the garden, but didn't get a lot out of it. Our lettuce was bitter. Our basil was pungent. Our broccoli and peppers did not grow, the melons we planted were tiny and flavorless, and the cilantro was just ... weird. We did have some success with peas, carrots and tomatoes, but the tomatoes came in so, so late in the season and the carrots were all short and stubby.

I do realize that this was not the best year for any gardener (from the green variety, like us, to long-time gardening enthusiasts, master gardeners and even professional fruit and veggie farmers), thanks to the weather, and I've had a few folks tell me that I should not draw conclusions based on the unusual circumstances of 2010. But I am going to draw conclusions because, well, I know me. And I know that this is not my thing. Even giving it a trial run was a stretch. For me, when it comes to gardening, I've learned that the reward is in the result -- not the process. I do not enjoy digging, planting and watering, so to spend so much time and money on this project only to receive so little in return is quite a disappointment. This is so, so different from how I feel about other activities. For example, running. I like running, so even if I don't finish as a 5K in record time, it isn't a big deal because the training part is actually something I enjoy doing. Same with baking cookies. This year, I entered chocolate chip cookies into the Washington County Fair. I did not receive a ribbon. That's OK, though, because I enjoy baking cookies. The process was fun for me, and my time was not wasted. Gardening, unfortunately, felt just like a big fat waste of time.

Plus, I really don't need to garden. I live right on the edge of farmland (really, right on the edge). In less than an hour, I can drive to several local farms and be back home with a colorful variety of fruits and veggies (grown by people who know what they are doing). I can also join a CSA, and they'll deliver a box of fresh produce to my door each week. There are also tons of farmer's markets around here, as well as stores that specialize in locally-grown fruits and veggies.

And this works out great for me, because I would much rather spend time in the kitchen than in the dirt.