According to Lew

My neighbor, Lew, came over yesterday and tilled my garden for me. It's been one year exactly since I met this man. Last year, at this time I honestly barely knew him, and this year he's like another member of the family.

He came over to the house a week or so ago so that I could show him my garden plan and all of the seeds that I had purchased. With each successive packet I pulled out, his response was either: "Horrors! Now why'd you go and by that brand of such-and such?!" Or - "What?! You purchased those in a packet? You should have bought them in bulk. Way cheap-ah, plus you'll need way more than that!"

I was sufficiently stressed.

Kevin has given us both permission to go on a seed shopping date next spring, because apparently I still know nothing about gardening.

Apparently, I should also have my peas in the ground by now. I checked the forecast this morning and it said rain all the rest of the week, so I called up Mr. Lew and asked him if he were me - would he try to get them in the ground super quick this morning before the rain hit, or would he just wait until Monday?

Lew said: "I'll be right ov-ah."

I put Sir Rancey Pants to nap two hours early, threw school to the wind, and down to the garden the two of us traipsed.

Lew thinks I need an entire double row of peas to feed my whole family, but I held my ground and told him that a half of a double row would be sufficient and besides, a half of a double row is really like one long row anyway. I'm trying to tone down my "go big or go home" mentality. Besides, I want some onions and scallions to go in the other half of that row.

Lew said: "Horrors!"
I stayed strong.

So we planted and visited and had ourselves a lovely time. And I learned all sorts of gardening tidbits. Here are just a few:

~ You shouldn't plant the same veggies in the same spot every year. If possible, it's a good idea to switch them around.

~ Tomatoes and potatoes share the same worms and blight, so if possible it's also a good idea not to plant either of those where the other one was planted in the previous year. (My garden plans include the tomatoes being planted in the potatoes plot from last year. Whoops).

~ You also shouldn't plant your tomatoes and potatoes beside each other for that same reason. (Whoops again. Lew says: "No big deal.")

~ Most seeds you purchase are good for at least 2 years. Tomatoes can be used up to six years later. Who knew? Not me...

~ Cukes and squash really shouldn't be planted together because they can mutate into some funky junk. (My garden plan includes them being planted beside each other. Again. Whoops. Lew says: "Could be fun!" We'll see what happens).

So anyway, despite multiple "Horrors!" from Lew - and we've only done one row, and despite my unknowingly breaking most of Lew's gardening rules, AND despite Lew telling me that he's pretty sure he tilled up "just a bit" of poison ivy on one end, (Lord have mercy), we had ourselves a lovely time.

I love this man.