I think I give you a completely inaccurate impression of my actual life. Or at the very least, an incomplete impression.
If you think I am on top of everything or succeed all the time or even wash my hair every day, I’m here to set you straight.
(Does anyone actually have the patience to wash her hair everyday? Because if you do, I want to shake your hand.)
This is our garden. In August, the year of our lord, 2016.
Lord, have mercy.
You would be forgiven if you think this actually just looks like a giant jungle of weeds.
Actually. You would be correct. It IS a giant jungle of weeds. (But if you squint, you may see some corn stalks. And a few black eyed susans.)
A few weeks ago, my husband (who built an entire house while I let the garden turn into this) turned to me with exasperation and said, “This is ridiculous. We aren’t doing a garden next year.”
This is after he just had to weed whip between the rows of plants to walk through.
But where he sees weeds up to my neck, I see this.
And this.
And this.
On Saturday, I made stuffed peppers with peppers, tomatoes and fresh corn from the garden. I have made salsa and pesto and picked sunflowers that just magically grew themselves. There are dozens of pumpkins and squash growing haphazardly.
I completely neglected this garden and it still rewards me. There is some sort of lesson in that.
Like, maybe it’s not about perfection.
And while I’d love a beautiful and perfect garden that I could blog about and everyone would oooooh and ahhhhh over, I’m okay with failing at gardening. (Although, maybe next year will be the magic year I start following through. Don’t count on it.)
Because my philosophy is that life is all about DOING SOMETHING. Even if the something is sort of half-baked and drives your husband nuts because there’s no follow-through.
Cough cough: remember the gorgeous compost bins?
Because doing nothing is NOT better than failing at something.
Here I am – failing at having a perfect garden. But also eating my weight in tomatoes. (#winning)
So, we will plant a garden next year. And I will plant 22 tomato plants and probably never weed anything. And that’s totally okay, my friends.
You know what else is okay? What’s good?
You. Doing something you may not follow through with or succeed at. Because you can fail at something and still win at life.
You can quote me on that.
What have you failed at? Let’s celebrate it!
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Jennifer says
Yeaaahhhhhh major fail at our garden this year, too. I’m blaming the existing bed that isn’t level and I think washed away some of the plant-lings, and doesn’t get enough sun for what did come up. I had the good sense to put my tomatoes somewhere else and I’ve gotten a steady supply of grape tomatoes (no thanks to my watering…), but some unidentified creature keeps making off with the big ones riiiight before I pick them! GAH.
Kathy says
Every year we *swear* we aren’t going to take on too much. That we’ll give the garden the attention it deserves. Then, we (okay, usually just me) decide to build a multi-level playhouse and completely gut and renovate a bedroom. And the garden is chaos. And we’re repentant. And take detailed notes on what we’ll do differently next year. This cycle has repeated for….oh, five years or so. I swear, next year….
Kim Woodward says
I’m so glad I’m not alone! I love the way you describe it as being repentant. So accurate.
Caroline Meyers says
I wash my hair about once a week. I think? It’s hard to remember. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
FYI, you are my personal Garden Hero. I support you.
Sarah says
I LOVE this. Thank you for putting THIS out on the internet. The internet needs this. (I need this.)
I (we?) have failed at finishing the first major renovation project that we started 8 years ago. Our hall bath still sits – functional, but not perfectly done and prettified. It’s close now. I learned to use the table saw and the miter saw last week and so I will finish that darn room! And next THE KITCHEN. 😉
Please don’t weed. We’ll never live up to you guys if you weed. 😉
cindy mandernach says
we planted 68 heirloom tomato plants this year. the tomatoes are coming fast and furious and I have already canned 14 quarts of tomato sauce the last two weekends. you can bet that ours looks like a jungle too!!
cindy
Kim Woodward says
WHOA! That’s some serious canning!!!! Awesome!
Kelly says
That garden looks like mine! Except you’re actually growing a vegetable or two. Nice work! P.s. love the message. It was exactly what I needed to read to start my day right.
Best,
Kelly
Lisa H. says
Love it! Thanks for keeping it inspiringly real. This summer I discovered homegrown tomatoes are the best—although it was my mom who grew them, not me. But I won at eating them!
Lana says
aren’t you afraid of snakes in all those weeds?!? Try Preen for vegetable gardens next year…that was help with the weeds. 🙂 love the flowers!
Kim Woodward says
Well, I am NOW. 😉
Keri Woodward says
Haha!! That garden looks about like ours… Except ours is somewhat contained in boxes. Why do weeds think they have any place in a garden? I’ll never understand, but definitely agree that you must fail over and over in order to succeed!
Mooch says
You make me smile ?. Who has time to weed a garden when you’re busy building a house and making memories with Henry?
emily @ go haus go says
LOL! I love your philosophy behind this. You are a wise one, Kim. Bless this mess!!
Kim Woodward says
I am comfortable with my own failings, but I have to admire those who can actually follow through.
Gretchen@BoxyColonial says
Love it! I failed to even fail at gardening this year, so I’m impressed with yours (and time for a fall garden is rapidly passing me by….but maybe I’ll get something out there. maybe).
Maggie says
My garden is the same and so is my husband. Every year, he announces in frustration that we are not have a vegetable garden the next year. But every year, I have a new excuse: I’m pregnant, I have a newborn, I’m drinking too much wine (due to not being pregnant/having a newborn). The reality is I’m so excited in the spring and THIS year is going to be the year in which I weed my garden every second night but the resolve wanes as July turns to August… but my garden has rewarded me as well! Nice to see I’m not the only one…
Kim Woodward says
Oh, Maggie – my spirit sister. I always have an excuse as well. (And my excuses are similar. But I’ve never used the wine one. Until now. That’s a good one.)
cassie @ primitive & proper says
haha! i love this! ours has lots of weeds at the moment…. something was in the manure we used and we have crab grass sprouting constantly in it. but we have tomatoes for days! i made gazpacho yesterday and it was yummy!
Kim Woodward says
WINNING!
I’m just not good at follow-through. Way too excited about “the next big thing.”