our garden: preparing the soil

In anticipation of creating a garden, we started composting our fruit scraps and vegetable peelings about a year ago.  And with the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed in our home, we've built up quite the compost pile.  Over the months, that pile broke down to create some rich compost soil, which of course we shoveled and spread in the garden the first day.

But after Ian and Caleb shoveled all that was ready, we just didn't have quite enough...so off to Lowe's we ventured the next weekend to purchase a little extra.  After all, even kindergarteners and first graders learn that good soil is key to growing plants in science class!

I won't soon forget one of our emerging readers mistaking a few letters on one of the bags of moisture control soil and asking how dirt could control monsters...

No fear, the only monster in our yard that day was the monsterous amount of work that was done, moving bags of dirt, breaking them open, and then mixing our compost dirt with the "monster control" soil.

Our backyard should be monster free ~ but hopefully full of produce ~ all summer long!