It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve delved into the world of community gardening.

Yes, me, the person who manages to kill house plants, is gardening.

I’ve rented a plot at the Coupeville Community Garden, and since May 2, I’ve been diligently tending to my garden, watering daily and checking for weeds.

There are a few things I have learned since starting my garden.

1. I probably should have raked any rocks from my soil. I find myself picking them out when I’m watering.

2. Planting seeds when it’s windy might not be the best idea. The marigolds I was planting around the perimeter of my plot (because I read online they detract bugs) may have ended up all in one corner of my garden, next to the bush beans. Luckily, my plot neighbor was perfectly fine with the potential of over-run marigolds.

3. I’m not sure the difference between a weed and the vegetable I actually planted. My radishes started sprouting within five days of planting, and I had to Google-image search what early radish sprouts look like prior to weeding.

Each day I tend to my garden, it’s exciting to see what new growth is found. I fear I may have over-planted my plot, but my master gardener friends all assure me it’s better to over-plant than to under-plant and can always thin my rows as they grow.

While I’m only about two weeks in, this has been a fun experience, and it’s great that Coupeville created this garden for the public.

I’m enjoying seeing what other gardeners are doing and how they are planting and the various methods they use.

There are still about 40 plots available. And I bet there’s still time to get a plot going.  Applications can be found on the Town of Coupeville’s website, www.townof

coupeville.org

Plots are $30 for the season, which ends in October. All the tools a beginning gardener will need are right on site, including water. I’ve been able to plant an array of vegetables, possibly more than I would even be able to consume.

If that ends up being the case, Gifts From the Heart food bank is always willing to take those extra veggies.

— Megan Hansen is co-editor of The Whidbey Examiner. She can be reached at mhansen@whidbeynewsgroup.com