It finally happened - my dirt arrived.

Four yards of organic mixed topsoil and compost! Don't you just want to lay in it like a pile of leaves? ;)

First, I painted the bed.

Malai "helped." The pots are for tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, herbs, and dwarf sugar peas.

Then, with actual help of course, the bed was filled! Here there will grow cucumbers, okra, kohlrabi, lettuces, zucchini, onions, leeks, thai basil, spinach, radishes, and broccoli.

We had dirt leftover, so a whole new garden bed was created!

All those daylilies and other things near the foreground of the photo were up against the house. I moved them to the end of the fence and created an L-shaped vegetable bed. This is where the corn, pumpkin, loofah, beans, and peas are going. All that's needed now are some trellises!

It was a lot of work. Digging, painting, carrying, and planning. Couldn't have done it without the help of family and friends, so thank you to them. At the end of the day and after a shower, Lover and I settled into our couch not wanting to move again. Our chihuahua and Munchkin cat curled around us, and we held cups of hot gomaichu (a great tea with a woody, savory flavor). Worn, accomplished, clean, and sore, I felt completely content.

It's been a slow start, but next year will be better. Now that the beds are in, I can plant cool weather crops like brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) and peas early on. The onions, tomatoes, and peppers will get started with the grow-light and heat mats, and everything else will get put in as soon as the last frost pasts. Gardening....ahhhhh. Rejuvenating.