msfuzz,
I bet there's a few folks digging in the dirt with you this weekend! I'm sorry you've had a bumpy ride this spring and glad you've found a place to call home.

I added 2 raised beds to my 20 X 20ft kitchen garden this spring. The rain and mud have delayed a lot of my planting.
The 7 varieties of tom's have been planted for several weeks and are keeping warm under Walls of Water. Potatoes went in a couple of weeks ago as well and are up. I planted the peppers Thursday. Now that DD's high school graduation is done and the temps look like they'll climb soon it's time to get beans, corn, cukes and pumpkins planted.

I picked up some small basil, rosemary and sage plants yesterday to go in the strawberry pot. I have plenty of herb seeds to start, but needed a little instant gratification.

Congrats on your new garden! I hope you have a wonderful harvest this year.

Barb

What did you do with the swaths of daylilies and ancient rosebushes?

Sorry you've had a rough spring but glad you are getting to garden again. It's sure good for the soul isn't it?
I've been digging and planting in the garden this weekend too. Enjoy your new garden

Go girl!
You are doing real good on varieties except you can throw away that early girl.
Kenny, the old guy

Polygonum-The rose bushes I cut into manageable pieces with a large set of lopping shears, then I dug out the roots. The daylillies got dug out and the whole pile is currently sitting in the other little garden area, waiting for my neighbor's lawn guys to cart away later this week. I also want to clean out that area & put some more cool/shade tolerant stuff in there, as it only gets a couple hours of sunshine a day.

Sorie-You're absolutely correct about gardening being good for the soul. My garden is the one place where I can totally unwind and feel connected to the world. I am so glad I get to have one this year.

Kenny-Glad you think my varieties will do well. I pretty much just threw some things together with what was available. I've not grown many toms, so I'm curious how they'll do. I'll let you know if I have any better luck with the Early Girl than you have. But even if I don't, the other ones should make up the difference. What one person is going to do with 7 tomato plants (plus 3 for paste, but those are gonna be canned) remains to be seen! :D

Glad you've landed in a good garden place!

msfuzz,

I went through the same thing last spring. Not being able to get in the dirt I decided to read about it. I ended up having a panic attack and my son took me to the hospital. When they asked me what I was doing when it happened I told them I was reading a gardening book. The universal response was, "Well that usually calms me down". The thing was that I simply needed to get into the dirt and reading about it and not being able to do it just sent me off. I ended up gardening in a plot of ground that I inherited that had no water. Toward the end of summer I was hauling 64 gallons of water a day in mostly 1 gallon jugs....I was never happier or in better shape!

It seems that being a part of the earth renewing itself and going on helps me feel I can do it too.

I'm glad you are able to get your hands in the dirt. Hopefully it will bring you the same peace it did me.

What's wrong with Early Girl tomatoes?

"What's wrong with Early Girl tomatoes?"
Not too much. Just over rared. Its just that I think that a lot of of people think that they just gotta raise them. Last two years I grow them I picked a big beef before the EG. And a lot better tasting. Many open pollinated are earlier. Fireworks, stupice, moskovivh, bloody butcher, shophie's choice, for the real early ones. For me, even the old stand by celebrity was all most as early and grew better.
Then again, I am know for doing thing different than most.
Kenny

I think that one thing we are doing in the garden is surrounding ourselves not only with home (the Earth) but friends (our plants).

Kenny's tomatoes might not be everybody's choice but they have a comfortable feel to him. Almost like friends, buddies: Big Beef, Fireworks, Bloody Butcher (yikes!). . .

Remember my Mystery Girl? I lost track of the younger plant in its pony pack - either sold it or, probably, gave it away. But, I've got the older plant in the garden now. I have invested all this interest in that plant! We are in it together on this go-round! Friend, buddy, homeboy, uh, -girl!

Steve