The timing of this course, and the major project focus of blogging about personal learning, is quite timely. It’s this time of year that my wife and her grandmother begin their process of planting a garden in our backyard. I have to admit that my prior involvement in the garden is very minimal: I run the rototiller early on, and do some hauling of soil, compost, and such, but have otherwise been uninvolved. For context, we purchased our home from my wife’s grandmother, and she and her late husband had maintained a garden during their time in the home. When we moved in, my wife continued the garden with her grandmother, and this was an important bonding activity for them that I generally stayed out of.

Not this year. The physical rigour of building and maintaining a garden is enough that my wife’s grandmother is unable to continue the tradition. So, I’ll step in. There’s lots to be done with the process of the garden. Much of my knowledge-building will naturally come from my wife’s experience, but I will supplement the process with all sorts of resources and references that will help explain the rationale behind how we build and maintain the garden.

My goal, in this process, is to articulate all aspects of the gardening experience, ranging from material choices, to the layout, and the activities involved. As long as the garden survives and is yielding produce, I’ll count this as a success!