No, I'm not here to announce that I'm expecting another baby. I have, however, been germinating.
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-6647" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2009/03/my-first-garden-in-tulsa-starting-seeds/gardening/"><img class="size-full wp-image-6647  aligncenter" title="My First Garden in Tulsa" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gardening.jpg" alt="My First Garden in Tulsa" width="300" height="400" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-6648" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2009/03/my-first-garden-in-tulsa-starting-seeds/gardening-2/"><img class="size-full wp-image-6648  aligncenter" title="My First Garden in Tulsa" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gardening1.jpg" alt="My First Garden in Tulsa" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
Well, my veggie seeds have been. On Valentine's Day, I planted a few varieties of vegetables and several cooking herbs in an indoor seed mother thingie.
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-6649" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2009/03/my-first-garden-in-tulsa-starting-seeds/gardening-3/"><img class="size-full wp-image-6649  aligncenter" title="My First Garden in Tulsa" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gardening2.jpg" alt="My First Garden in Tulsa" width="400" height="300" /></a></p>
You can tell I have a really technical knowledge of this gardening stuff. Actually, I knew little about what I was doing when I started. Thanks to the following links, though, I now know more:
<ul>
	<li><a href="http://www.oces.okstate.edu/">OSU Extension fact sheets on vegetable gardening in Oklahoma</a>; I thought the one about planning a vegetable garden was particularly helpful.</li>
	<li>Pioneer Woman's step-by-step tutorial (because she's the capital-Q Queen of the step-by-step tutorial) on <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeandgarden/2011/02/build-your-own-raised-flowervegetable-bed/">how to build raised beds</a>, which are perfect for vegetable gardening.</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/beginners-guide-organic-gardening">The beginner's guide to organic gardening</a>, as seen on OrganicGardening.com. Duh.</li>
</ul>
While it's not much, I consider it to be a good start. Feel free to leave more links to Tulsa gardening stuff in the comments. Please. Because my soul thirsts for gardening knowledge.I first became interested in raising food for my family when I did a story on the business of farmers' markets for Tulsa Business Journal back in 2007. The passion of the growers I talked to for the story impressed me to go home to plant seeds in my backyard <span style="font-style: italic;">that very night</span>. In the middle of May. I mean, $30 worth of seeds I bought at the Wal-Marts would grow all nice and neat and produce lots of lovely food if I put each plant in the ground less than three inches from all of the other plants - right?

Whoops. My crops of corn, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, jalapenos, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, white onions and carrots - all planted at the same time during the first heat wave of the summer - quickly became over-grown and nutrient-deprived. And dry. Plus, I planted the whole mess right under a diseased shade tree.
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-6650" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2009/03/my-first-garden-in-tulsa-starting-seeds/gardening-4/"><img class="size-full wp-image-6650  aligncenter" title="My First Garden in Tulsa" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/gardening3.jpg" alt="My First Garden in Tulsa" width="400" height="269" /></a></p>
Nice.

I hope my grandmother isn't reading this right now - you know, the grandmother whose entire yard is always looks like it came fresh off the cover of Southern Living magazine:
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-6651" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2009/03/my-first-garden-in-tulsa-starting-seeds/dadswedding/"><img class="size-full wp-image-6651  aligncenter" title="Dads Wedding" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dadswedding.jpg" alt="Dads Wedding" width="400" height="285" /></a></p>
Yes, that's me and my four siblings and husband, all dressed alike in a wedding. It was my dad's wedding, in fact, which had an Elvis/Blue Hawaii theme.

And now you all know why I am the way I am.

I certainly didn't inherit my grandmother's talent for gardening. But, I didn't give up after a false start, and that's what counts, right? (Say yes.)

This year I'll be transplanting starts of roma tomatoes, brandywine tomatoes (heirlooms!), jalapenos, yellow squash and green beans. I'll also plant several cooking herbs in pots that I'll strategically place all over my yard to make things really sparkle and smell delicious and drive the neighbors even more bonkers than they already are: Italian parsley, sweet basil, rosemary, cilantro, thyme and chives.

This weekend we're building raised beds; the next step (I think) is to have our soil amended. I'll be keeping you all posted on how my little garden is coming along. Right now I'm just hoping everything lives to be transplanted.

What veggies are you growing in your garden this year? I hope to hear of someone growing some really weird stuff, like the tomatoes they use to make purple ketchup. Those things must be <em>crazy</em>.