Garden Diary: Planting

Dear God,
I love you, this gorgeous planet and all the life that springs from it.  Let me get straight to my point: please don’t let me kill these plants.  You know as well as I that I have been a neglectful and lazy gardener in the past.  I, alone, have been responsible for the death of hundreds of plants over the years.  Please let this year be different.  Please turn my thumb green and my seedlings into food.  That’s all.  
Thank you,
Rebecca 

This is the story of my hapless attempt at yet another garden.  I am not a gardener.  I am a cook, so I need fresh, cheap, organic produce.  The best way to do that is to garden.  I actually love gardens, even though very little that I’ve planted has managed to survive my neglectful care.  I think I like the idea of a garden more than the actual dirty work needed to tend it properly.  In a perfect world I would hire a gardener.  I have someone in mind: my mom.  In my daydreams, I picture owning my dream home which always includes a cottage for my mom.  She could live with us, help me with my boys and take care of the plants.  She is a fantastic gardener herself and has been since her days as a flower child.  Unfortunately, I don’t have my dream home yet and my mom lives 3,500 miles away from me.  I will have to do the work on my own.

I know it seems strange for many people to talk about gardening in November, but I live in Miami.  It is planting time here.  We harvest in the winter and spring, but the summer heat kills plants the way the winter frost does in Northern climates.  Those of you who are good gardeners, please write in and offer me advice.  I need it, as well as the motivation to take good care of my plants. 

I want to name this garden.  I’m calling of the Divine, because I really need help on a big scale.  I am not sure whether I should name my garden, St. Fiacre’s Garden, after the patron saint of gardens or St. Jude’s Garden, after the patron saint of lost causes.  I could also name it St. Nana’s Garden, in hopes that my grandmother’s planting skill could somehow creep into my hands.  Please comment and vote.

Here’s what I planted so far:
4 varieties of tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper
1 Japanese eggplant
1 Swiss chard
8 broccoli
8 cauliflower
12 romaine lettuce (These survived last year and gave me great salads.)
dill
stevia (I’m excited for this sweet herb!)
rosemary
basil
mint
thyme
sage

There are a few more herbs and some strawberries I’m hoping to find and plant.  I already have a nice compost going.  (I’m good at that.)  I have spent $52 so far.  I will check back weekly and report how my plants are doing.  Again, all help is most needed, and welcomed.