The first couple of weeks usually go well. The weeds get hoed out of the garden and the seedlings get watered regularly. The garden is tended with love and concern.

Then the summer heat arrives.

The weeds over take the plants, the ants hide under the weeds and the vegetables rot on the vine because no one will risk their life to get them.

This year we are experimenting with a square foot garden. It takes less energy to prepare, less seeds to plant and less time to maintain. We have built up three 4 x 4 beds. Each one of the beds has been divided into a grid with the spaces 1ft x 1ft.

We have lettuce, carrots, radishes, a squash plant, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, some herbs, and cabbage all planted in the small space. There are plenty of seeds left over for future planting (and we keep them viable by storing them in the refrigerator).

Today we spent a grand total of 10 minutes watering and weeding all of our vegetable garden. I think that even with the heat of summer this is something that can be managed. It looks like the square foot garden is one that is going to stay.

I received my first daylilies when I joined my local gardening club. I was blessed with about twenty different types of flowers. There were red ones, yellow ones, orange ones, and even a pale green one. I set them aside and planned on planting them in a few days. A few days soon became a few weeks. When I finally got around to planting them, they had already rooted themselves where they were sitting.

Over the years, my daylily collection has expanded to about 200 different types of flowers. This last year, I found out just how drought tolerant they are when our area went for about six months without rain. Some of the gardeners I know took the time to water their plants. I have a house full of kids and a full time job. Around here, only the strong survive. Not only did the plants survive, but they put us some very pretty blooms.

If you want a plant that is easy to maintain and will give you months of color then you need to take a look at the daylily.

Some of the best salads come from cold weather growing. Most lettuces and spinaches prefer the cool temperatures. They will produce better and grow stronger than if you try to force them in the heat of summer. Carrots are also great cool weather vegetables. If you have children, these can be a fun choice to introduce them to gardening.

Another great benefit of gardening is that you no longer are forced to weed in the heat. The weeds, for the most part, are heat loving annuals that will slow down with the weather. Plus, the drop in temperature means you can work without sweating (or at least with a lot less sweat). The normal pests of the garden (ants, biting insects, and even snakes) also slow down as the temperature goes down.

Fall is not just the time to clean up the tools and get ready for winter hibernation by the fireplace. The cool weather that flows in starting around September opens up a whole new world of gardening possibilities.

I’ve heard about square foot gardening, but I’ve not researched it as much as I should. Just looking over a website online was enough to convince me this is the direction we will be going in the up coming season. It was motivating enough that I’m seriously considering a fall and winter garden.

The hard part won’t be building the raised beds or even filling them with soil (we have a bucket on the tractor that will do most of the work) but it will be convincing my father-in-law that this is the right path to take. He’s a firm believer of “we’ve never done it that way before.”

It would be nice to only have to work what we plant instead of having to worry about a huge pot of dirt that only produces five cucumbers. It would also be nice not to have to fight the crawling grass that loves to invade our garden.

If this works out well, I might be moving my flower beds in to the raised position.

Plumbing is not something that I typically will try on my own. Although I have developed a good relationship with the guy I normally call, and he will try to walk me through the repairs before he has to come out (I live WAY out in the woods), I know when to cry uncle.

Electrical work is the second place I refuse to learn as I go. Through a trial and error process, I have stumbled on a great electrician. It’s safer to pay him to do my repairs than it is to try and figure out where that burning smell is coming from (and added bonus is that he sings ;) ).

Only one other things keeps me from doing it myself - that’s anything that has to be done in the attic or under the house. I don’t mind the spiders and snakes, but it doesn’t mean I want to hand out with them.

When it comes to fixing or repairing or remodeling, I like to do it myself. I have learned how to lay tile, hand cabinets, and repair doors. But even I draw the line at some jobs, and am willing to shell out a little extra money to let the professional take over.

It was a wonderful summer - even the Forth of July was celebrated with out stinky, sticky bug spray to keep us from being covered by mosquito bites. We spent our days at the water park, free from the attack of the aggressive fire ants. Even more valuable was the time we saved NOT mowing.

And then the rains came. Now the mosquitoes and ants and grass are all back with a vengeance. The time we had free from the pests is quickly being made up. Even with all the tricks and poisons and cooperation, the task is never ending. Just for added fun, the rain has brought the humidity with it. Going outside is like walking into a sauna, only not as fun.

As for the awful pests, I don’t know what to do. The mosquito seems to thrive on my blood, so at least the kids are safe if I’m around. The fire ants seem equally attracted to me (I got bit – in the water – at the water park). It would be nicer if they could finally come up with an environmentally save (and kid save) solution to the annoyances. Until that day, I have to debate if it’s really worth the relief to pray for another drought.