Below Zero

After a month of below zero weather, an uncontrollable urge to head outdoors to work out in the yard is taking over my thoughts. My mind is flooded with endless dreams of lush flower beds and handmade garden decorations.  I am thinking it would be a good idea to stay off Pinterest so I don't get overwhelmed with ideas. Having jumped on board the Pinterest bandwagon in 2010, I immediately found it addicting. There is no doubt that Pinterest will prevent me from completing my gardening chores if allowed to.

My biggest gardening challenge is keeping the beds weedless and looking good every day. I am looking for suggestions on how to stay motivated and disciplined. My fingers are crossed that this year I will be able to maintain the four beds in a blue ribbon fashion.

I guess the gardening bug (pun intended) is a part of my genetic makeup.  Never will I forgot the beautiful vegetable gardens my dad planted and cared for each year on the family farm in NE Iowa. The gardens were an important part of my childhood as they were of dad's.  In addition to large vegetable gardens, there were also numerous flower beds that decorated the yard and provided numerous bouquets for mom to exhibit in the house. Flower bouquets and plants now decorate my living quarters.

Returning to live in NE Iowa after an absence of 20 plus years, I had the opportunity to spend time with dad and listen to him share stories about the vegetable gardens of his childhood. It immediately became clear that the Melvin Corson family gardens ensured that he and his younger brothers never experienced hunger during their childhood. With the advent of the two-income family, gardening took a back seat and the skills to grow food were lost. After the U.S. experienced "The Great Recession" at the end of the last decade (December 2007 to June 2009) it appeared as if gardening is making a come back. Now it is not uncommon to read that local Community Colleges are offering gardening classes, elementary schools have greenhouses and gardens that students can work in, and headlines are emphasizing "Grow food not lawns".
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