FARMING

“Oh, good they’re here.” My husband Steve said as he walked to the front door.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I looked out my living room window early on a beautiful Saturday morning.

A pick-up truck had just pulled up to our house towing a flatbed that had a backhoe chained down to it.

I followed him but didn’t want to go outside with him because I was still in my pajamas.

“Why do we need a backhoe?” I asked.

“We talked about this.” Steven looked confused. “We’re putting a garden in the backyard.”

“Yes, we talked about a garden.” I looked out the front door watching two workers unchaining the backhoe and getting ready to back it off the flatbed. “But didn’t you say it was going to be a container garden?” I shook my head as I pointed to the backhoe that was now driving over my front yard headed around the house. “I wasn’t picturing needing heavy equipment for that.”

“Well, we have to get the ground level or my automatic watering system won’t work.”

“Automatic watering system?” Now I was really confused. “I was picturing using the garden hose that’s attached to the back of the house.”

He was out the front door trotting around the side of the house wanting to catch up with the workers. “Wait till you see the garden I’m planning!” he called over his shoulder before I lost sight of him as he went around the side of the house.

“Oh, boy.” I sighed as I shut the front door and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

By the time I was showered and dressed a half hour had passed. I went to the kitchen door to see what kind of progress they’d made.

Stepping out on the back porch I was blown away by what I was seeing. A huge part of our back yard was scraped away, with a dirt pile almost as tall as me pushed into the front of the woods.

Steven saw me and, with a huge smile on his face, walked over to me. “It’s it going to be great!” He pointed to the plot of land. “By next summer you’ll be able to walk right outside your back door and pick everything you’ll need for the salad we’ll be having for dinner!”

I could hear the excitement in his voice so I didn’t want to put too much of a damper on it. “Exactly how big is this garden going to be?”

“Don’t you remember we were out here the other day and I showed you how big it would be with a tape measure?”

“Yes.” I nodded my head. “ But I guess the dirt being scraped away is making me realize exactly how big it’s really going to be.”

Steven was still smiling. “The fencing guys are coming tomorrow.”

“We’re getting a fence too?”

“Of course. I’m thinking it should be a six foot chain link.”

“Six feet?” It was starting to be too much for me to take in.

“Well, yeah.” Steven looked confused. “We have to keep the deer out.”

“Steven I can barely keep my geraniums watered.” I looked over at my herb pots where my basil was looking a little weepy. “How are we going to manage a garden this size?”

“We’ll do it together.” He was smiling again. “It’ll be fun!” He turned around and headed back to the garden site.

I sighed again as I headed for the back door. “I’m pretty sure when you’re talking about planting that much land you’re not a gardener anymore.” I said under my breath. “You’re a farmer.”