It all began with some free soil and cedar planks, enough to make two raised beds (good lookin' Syreeta and Kristi).  I had already made my video with Inye and was very excited about the prospect of growing my own food.  Then the kids and I met with our garden coach, Kristel, who gave me pointers on soil preparation and foods that grow best in Seattle.  We made a list of seeds and planned to plant shortly thereafter.  I was geeked!  With our large yard, I thought I could do four beds easy.  Kristel and I chose the best locations based on full sun availability.  It was my job to prepare the beds (which I would soon find out is more than a notion) before Kristel's next visit.

It took me four hours to hammer and nail together two 4' x 8' garden beds.  Cedar wood is extremely strong, making my manual efforts difficult.  Two sore shoulders and numerous bent nails later, the beds were put together.  My daughter assisted towards the end.  Although proud of my accomplishments, I vowed to never do this again without the aid of a nail gun.  It was also at this time that I decided to start small – two beds would be enough for now.  Even with just the beds sitting on the ground, the garden was starting to take shape.