A Garden, With Good Intentions

I’ve always loved the idea of a garden.

The kind where everything grows just right, the baskets are always full, and dinner somehow appears on the table with a sprig of something freshly clipped outside. In reality, my work schedule means I garden in fits and starts, with enthusiasm, good intentions, and long stretches of neglect in between.

The first year, though, I really went for it. I planted green beans and tomatoes and even canned some of what we grew. Seeing those jars lined up in the cupboard felt like a small miracle. Opening them later, sharing them with family, and knowing they came from our own backyard filled my heart in a way store-bought never could.

Last year, I scaled back and kept it simple, pumpkins and wildflowers. Those, thankfully, thrived with a little sunshine and very little supervision. I took pictures as they grew, proof that something was happening even when I wasn’t hovering nearby with a watering can.

And then there was the summer I planted squash and zucchini.

Too much squash. Far too much zucchini.

Those plants grew overnight like something out of Jack and the Beanstalk. I swear I’d check on them in the evening, and by morning they’d taken over half the garden and possibly threatened the hay field. We gave them away, cooked them every way imaginable, and still they kept coming.

But out of that abundance came one small win, a simple squash and zucchini recipe that’s now a family favorite year after year. It was born out of necessity (and mild desperation), but it stuck. Even now, long after the garden beds have rested, it’s the dish everyone asks for when squash season rolls around.

This city girl has learned a lot of gardening lessons along the way, mostly about timing, restraint, and the fact that zucchini does not require encouragement. I’m not a star gardener, and there were no joyful family garden workdays. (They were supportive, with a little twisting of the arm.)

But even with its imperfections, the garden has given us moments of pride, beauty, and a few good laughs and at least one recipe worth repeating.

At Home With Rita’s, we believe a thoughtful home isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about finding joy in the everyday moments, learning as we go, and making room for the stories, even the slightly overgrown ones.