Let's do this

Awesome!  It's my day off, the weather is gorgeous and I am in the mood to pull some weeds.  I woke up early and headed to the Fred G garden center for some basic gardening necessities: gloves are number one on my list.  I saw all the slugs, spiders, worms and other bugs when I made my first visit and NO way am I touching those things!  Oh, did I mention the dirt and my complete aversion to being dirty, most specifically having dirty hands?  Straight to the gloves and step on it!  I was torn between the rubberized gloves or the good, old fashioned, leather, gardening gloves but when I saw the leather gloves with the super cute vintage inspired fabric trim I knew those were the ones.  (I may be regretting that decision now.)  Other items of immediate importance?  A hand trowel and yard debris bags.  30 gallon yard debris bags.  I think this may be a good start for today.  I've also heard there may be other tools available for use at the garden - I hope, I hope...

Off to the garden!

          ... Oh.  Hello weeds, I forgot how overwhelming you are.  And, my, how you've grown!  You're toast.

So, I've discovered in my adult years that I am allergic to bees.  There are several varieties of the black and yellow devils buzzing around when I show up - bumbles, yellow jackets, etc. - and I find myself more fearful than I ever thought I would be.  I'm starting to have a real panic attack - heart pounding, shortness of breath, shaking, the works.  After several moments of panic and second guessing whether or not this is going to work I have decided that I need to calm down; I can keep my plot.  I only live across the schoolyard so if I get stung I will simply scream like a baby then run home and take some Benedryl.  A lot of it.  Now get to work!

The sun is beating on me, and after a long Portland winter I'm not quite used to that feeling.  It's hot and I'm tired.  It's been an hour or so and I've filled 2 of my 30 gallon bags (I only brought 2 thinking I'd never need more than that...) with nothing but the foliage from those nasty old weeds, maybe a few of their root systems and a couple of tall cans that a hobo or some punk kids threw over the fence.  I'm pretty sure that unless you actually witnessed me working out there, you'd never know I was there.  Seriously?!  This is hard work!  I'm in way over my head, but I'm feeling pretty satisfied from all of my efforts.  At this point I figure I've done half of the work that was needed on 1/3 of my allotted space.  But I'm not here to do math, remember?

oh my...

The plot I have been assigned is roughly 8x12, 10x15, I don't know, all I know is I was told I get approximately 165 square feet to work with.  I'm not trying to do math, I'm trying to grow food.  Oh the things I can do in that space... 

I got the code to the gate at the garden so in my excitement I decided to walk over and check out my precious little plot of land and dream about all the things I'll do and grow but I was not prepared for what I found: 165 square feet of pure weeds!

How on earth will a garden novice like me ever successfully tackle these weeds?!  I'm now uncertain I will ever enjoy any of those tomatoes I have been dreaming of; I may never get this garden shaped up enough to plant.  Did I mention Portland Parks and Rec has some pretty stringent rules for these gardens?  Organic, organic, organic is rule number one.  I'm fine with that, it's how I want to garden anyway, but I have to confess there is a small part of me that is trying to figure out how I can sneak some weed killer in here!  

I got it! I got it!

I finally got it!  After 4 long years on the wait list I have finally been awarded a plot in the Buckman Community Garden.  I had no idea it would take so long to get my space, they are really coveted here in Portland.  My head is swirling with ideas and ideals, but seeing as how this is the first time in my life I have ever gardened, we'll see how it all pans out.  I'm optimistic and ecstatic!  Fresh, juicy, homegrown tomatoes... here I come!