by Eleanor Blythe

Created on: August 13, 2008   Last Updated: September 21, 2008

I knew little about gardening, and even less about stepmothering, but somehow love managed to grow along with the carrots!

Once upon a time in the sweltering heat of Southeast Texas, a very inexperienced stepmother was at a loss for something to do. Something airconditioned. And so, at the request of her little stepson, she sat through yet another animated classic video. On loan every other weekend and most Wednesday evenings, the boy loved his Disney movies. And it was a worry to the young stepmother, because these movies were anti-stepmother. In fact, she was convinced that Walt Disney hated stepmothers.

Whatever in the world has this to do with gardening?

Well, it was an enchanted garden that shielded the inexperienced stepmother from further slander. Indeed, once the enchanted garden took root, it counteracted all negative stereotyping.

The garden, you see, was inspired by fun and born of holiday legends. It was devised to prove, once and for all, that I would be a very good stepmom. And luckily, in Southeast Texas, I could garden about nine months out of the year!

My journey into dirt and Miracle Gro began as my first official Spring holiday approached. I was determined that this Easter, only five weeks away, would be memorable. I was a new wife, a new homeowner, and the most insecure new stepmom on the face of the planet. Whatever could I do to usher in an Easter Spectacular? Oh, the angst and brainstorming! I sweated and suffered sleepless nights, racking my brain.

And then, all at once, I had it! I could plant a garden of lettuce and carrots for the Easter Bunny! Aha - a garden for my stepson to tend during his weekends with us! And then, on Easter morning, he would discover that the carrots were missing! Further investigation would reveal that the lettuce had been nibbled just as sure as Christ has risen!

Eureka! This would be undeniable proof of the Easter Bunny's existence! And - bonus - this would prove that our special home had magical magnetism! Only the happiest and most loving homes enticed the Easter Bunny to pig out on its backyard produce! And, of course, it would establish me as the one of the Easter Bunny's favorite stepmoms ever. Score!

As I embarked on my gardening adventure, I realized how pathetically little I knew. Gardening, I discovered, was much more than just shoving seeds into holes. At my local gardening center I found books with charts - when to plant at my particular longitude and latitude. And I realized that you must read the

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>