Okay, so, I had this brilliant idea, right? I was gonna build a raised garden bed. How hard could it be? Famous last words, am I right? I envisioned myself, like, sipping iced tea, casually planting herbs, and looking all Pinterest-y. The reality? Let’s just say I now have a very intimate relationship with my local hardware store.

First, the planning. I spent, no joke, three hours on Pinterest looking at garden beds. Turns out, there are approximately one million different ways to build a box. Who knew? I finally settled on a simple design – cedar planks, corner posts, the whole shebang. I even measured my yard like five times to make sure it would fit.

Then came the lumber. Cedar is expensive, y’all! My bank account cried a little. But hey, gotta invest in the aesthetic, right? I loaded up my poor little hatchback with enough wood to build a small cabin. Getting it home was an adventure in itself.

The actual building? Ugh. Let’s just say my power drill and I had a few disagreements. I may or may not have stripped a few screws. And I definitely hit my thumb with a hammer. More than once. But, after a solid eight hours of sweating, swearing, and questionable carpentry, I had a box! A slightly wonky, definitely not-perfect box, but a box nonetheless.

Next up: soil. So. Much. Soil. My back is still screaming. I swear, I hauled like ten bags of the stuff. But seeing that dark, rich soil in my beautiful (wonky) new bed? Totally worth it.

I planted some herbs – basil, mint, rosemary – and a few tomato seedlings. I’m already dreaming of fresh pesto and Caprese salads. Now, I just gotta keep the squirrels away. Any tips? Seriously, send help.

So, yeah, my weekend is gone. My body hurts. But I have a garden bed! And that, my friends, is a win. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go soak in a tub of Epsom salts and contemplate my life choices.