Fleshman 1
Brandi Fleshman
Ms. Sanders
ENGL 1113: Process Essay
7 February 2013
Starting a Bountiful Oklahoma Garden: Turning My Thumb Green
I have long dreamt of becoming a farmer. Not the agricultural, sixty-plus acre type of
farmer with cows, but a cultured suburban living gardener of sorts. Essentially, I want a backyard
garden oasis, and I'm about ready to go to great lengths to achieve it. I use the term farmer
because "farming" portrays the use of age-old techniques, adds symbolic value to the caress of
gardening, and better describes the attributes that I desire to acquire in my quest to transform the
dirt that is my new backyard into a vegetable bearing landscape. I want to produce my own
heirloom tomatoes, cherry or Roma tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, okra, and herbs such as cilantro,
oregano, chives, thyme, and basil. Maybe next year, if all goes well in the cultivation of these
named greens, I may dabble in growing carrot, leaf or head lettuce, onion, and strawberries.
I've heard many a rant and rave about gardening. Most will tell you it doesn't take a
rocket scientist to grow an onion or two, but I grew up with brown thumbs. I don't have
experience in the practice of growing anything from the ground, but I think I understand some of
the basics now. Information on gardening is abundant on the web, in magazines, and (what I
have found to be the best advice) at the OSU Extension Office located in every county in
Oklahoma. With the help of these resources, my newly budded determination, and some elbow
grease, I hope to accomplish my dream that every happy farmer once had: raising my own fresh
produce and reveling in the optical, healthy, and fulfilling rewards.
Fleshman 2
First, I need to find the right place, and map out a good idea of a setup. My boyfriend and
I have recently purchased a foreclosed home. We are still in the process of fixing it up and
probably will be for some time. With the move in date in mind, my carrots, lettuce, and onions
will have to wait until next season seeing as they need to be in the ground by March 10th
(according to "HLA-6004 Oklahoma Garden Planning Guide"), and I highly doubt my soil will
be ready for planting by then. I think I have the perfect sun-providing place in mind, though.
There are several tall shade trees toward the rear of the back yard, so I plan on planting closer to
the house for full sun exposure. The OSU Extension Office also provides a service that tests soil
for only ten dollars. As long as I have a spot that can provide good sun, I can modify my soil to
drain or retain water properly and provide the needed nutrients for bearing crops. The soil test
should tell me what elements are lacking, and I can acquire more information then.
I ordered seed catalogs; they should be coming in soon. I can pick my heirloom tomato
seeds from them, and I'm hoping to find a hearty variety that can withstand Oklahoma's changing
climate. I also want to start a compost, which seems all fine and dandy, but learning the ropes
appears to be a major benefactor. A compost sounds pretty easy to set up, and the rules are
simple. A person can make a compost bin out of just about anything that will allow the compost
to breathe. Chicken wire or pallets work well to make a bin. Alternating green and brown yard
scraps and green kitchen scraps provides the correct levels of nitrogen for the compost to
decompose properly. Fatty foods or materials do not work well for compost. To produce compost
the fastest it should be turned often, about once a week. The bacteria that breaks down the
materials causes the compost to heat up. When the compost is cooled back down (it usually takes
two to four months depending on how often it is turned), it is "done" and can be used as mulch
for the garden, or mixed into soil to give it more nutrients and make it loamy.
Fleshman 3
I plan on buying my Roma or cherry tomatoes and peppers in the form of hatchlings
ready to be put in the ground. The rest of the produce I'd like to start from seed. I've found the
hardest part of starting plants from seed is hardening them off. Hardening off plants gets them
ready for the harsher temperatures and elements of the outdoors, and I've found to be a rather
delicate process. I attempted to harden off plants a couple years ago. I took my beautifully
hatched seedlings outside durning the day and brought them back in at night until after the last
frost. After about two weeks of taking them in and out and timid growth, I believed the small
plants to be ready for the great outdoors permanently. I took the lid off of my grower, and in just
a couple days, most of my plants died. If I go the same route this time, I will need to pay extra
attention to the temperature and timing as well as the time of planting.
A book I've recently dove into has put a new spin on farming for me, and has provided
me with a newfound determination and excitement for the outdoors. Barnheart: The Incurable
Longing for a Barn of One's Own by Jenna Woginrich is a delightful autobiography in which
Jenna begins a homesteading life on her own. I can relate to her sentiment towards gardening.
She talks about soaking in the sun and even enjoying the burn of her worn muscles after tilling
up the soil. It's an experience I long to understand well. It's a lifestyle I plan on living in the near
future. If making a compost bin, actually making compost, and hardening of my seedlings all
works, and if I get my babies in the ground, I'll be one happy farmer. Hopefully, all my new
knowledge and hard work pay off. I want to grow accustomed to eating food from my back yard.
I honestly can't wait for the day I hear my boyfriend's daughter, Kacie, ask me for a snack, and I
reply without hesitation, "Well, go check the strawberries or Romas, and make sure you rinse
them before you stick them in your mouth!"