Starting Our First Garden: Digging Into the Dirt

There’s something magical about sinking your hands into fresh soil, planting a tiny seed, and watching it grow into something beautiful (or edible—hopefully edible). Starting our first garden at True North Family felt like embarking on an epic adventure, one that required equal parts excitement, determination, and a good sense of humor.

Let’s be honest: the idea of a garden sounds simple. You dig a hole, drop in a seed, and boom instant farm, right? Well, not exactly. Our journey started with big dreams and, let’s just say, a few unexpected surprises along the way. But that's what makes it fun, right? Here’s how things unfolded:

Where Should We Put the Garden?
Spoiler: Grams knew all along.

It all began with a simple question: “Where should the garden go?”
Simple? Ha! This turned into a full-blown family summit, complete with dirt-sketching, emphatic hand gestures, and Papa saying, “Sounds like a Grams decision to me!”

Grams lobbied hard for a spot close to the kitchen for easy snipping of herbs and veggies. Others dreamed of a tucked-away patch near the barn with rustic charm and “room to grow.”
In the end, we went with Grams’ pick, close to the house, and thank goodness we did. Turns out, she was absolutely right (as usual). Convenience is queen—and Grams? She wears the crown.

Wiggly Garden Helpers – Starting Our Worm Farm

Most people start a garden with just seeds and soil, but we thought, why not add thousands of tiny, wriggling employees to the mix? Enter: our very own worm farm! We had no idea how fascinating worms could be. After setting up our composting system (a.k.a. the worm farm), the kids began naming the worms after days of the week. I think Monday’s worm is the leader—he’s definitely the most active. 

Worms are the quiet, hard-working heroes of the garden. They turn scraps into gardening gold. Plus they are fun to play with too!

Function Meets Beauty – Raised Beds & Trellises

Sure, we wanted fresh veggies, but we also wanted our garden to be a place of beauty—somewhere that felt as good to sit in as it did to harvest from. So, we built raised beds and trellises. Why? For better soil control, easier weeding, and fewer rabbit invasions (in theory). Trellises weren't just for maximizing space—they created vertical charm, turning simple green beans and cucumbers into living walls of lush greenery.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love the idea of strolling under an archway of climbing peas like they’re walking through an enchanted garden? Gigi of course had to add crystals and fairy lights to make it a bit more magical.

 Bonus Plot Twist: Garden of Grasshoppers & Ducks of Destiny

Just when we thought we had our garden plan all figured out BAM! Nature threw us a crunchy little curveball. Turns out, our freshly prepped soil wasn’t just attractive to seeds… it was apparently the maternity ward for about a million baby grasshoppers.

Every step sent tiny hoppers bouncing like popcorn in a hot skillet. It was like a scene from a whimsical nature documentary, narrated by chaos. We're working on peaceful co-existence, but let's just say the grasshoppers are currently winning the numbers game.  And we have little boys with big stomachs so the garden is not for sharing. 

But the real story, the one that had us all misty-eyed and smiling? That started at Big R.

One bright Saturday, Ashlin and Gigi went in for some basic garden supplies, well that is their story we have other thoughts about their supply runs! There in a little pen were two ducks, clearly bonded, side by side. Turns out they had their own Tik Tok story of long lost ducks, who found each other after heartbreak.

Grams, who had grown up with ducks as a child, had been reminiscing lately. Her eyes would sparkle (and sometimes glisten) as she told stories of her feathered companions, how they'd follow her mom around the yard, quacking their little hearts out. Her memories were like sunlit water, shimmering and tender, steeped in love and innocence.

So when Ashlin and Gigi locked eyes with those ducks… there was no question. We were bringing them home.

Mission: Operation Bring Grams Ducks was officially launched. And when we placed those waddling bundles of joy in Grams’ arms? Oh. My. Stars. The way her face lit up, the way her laughter danced through the garden—it was like watching a flower bloom in fast motion.

Now, those ducks have become official garden mascots. They patrol the beds, chase grasshoppers (bonus!), and will in time waddle after Grams just like the ones from her childhood. 

At the end of the day, our garden is one big, beautiful experiment, equal parts soil and soul, and we can’t wait to see what blooms. Whether we end up with a bumper crop worthy of bragging rights or a wild patch of plants that looks like it time-traveled from a sci-fi jungle, we’re here for it all.

Already, there have been splashy water fights, muddy misadventures, worm-naming ceremonies, stubbed toes, bruises, and laughter so loud it could’ve shaken the leaves off the trees. And just when the sun dips low and paints everything in gold, someone, usually Gigi, puts on music, and we dance barefoot in the backyard, twirling through the garden paths like wildflowers on the wind.

We’ve learned that gardening isn’t just about food, it’s about freedom. It’s about family. It’s about that sweet, messy, magical journey we take with hands in the dirt and hearts wide open.

We’ll keep digging. We’ll keep dreaming. And most importantly, we’ll keep dancing. Because a garden grown with laughter and love will always, always grow something worth harvesting.