The Garden.

When we first bought our property, we’d only explored about a third of it before making an offer. We had no idea what the rest of the property had in store for us—just a feeling that it was right. After closing, we started visiting regularly, exploring the land on foot, then eventually by four-wheeler, and now by a two-seater UTV.

With each visit, we carved out new trails, slowly pushing deeper into the woods. The land was wild—completely wooded, trails overgrown with prickers, full of hills, and a muddy mess in spring. It had been logged many years ago, and much of it was left in rough shape: trees cut but never hauled away, others broken from storms. It was a tangle—but it was ours.

By the end of that first summer, we had built a full trail from the front of the property to the back, complete with a loop that brought you back up front again. We even had to build two bridges along the way. It might not sound like much, but for us, it was a huge accomplishment. We were thrilled.

As fall rolled in, we began branching off the main trail, creating paths that let us crisscross the land and uncover hidden gems—new mushrooms, wildflowers, native plants, the remains of a hunting blind, a collapsed trailer. I was in my element. One afternoon, while clearing a side trail, I stumbled across a spot that felt perfect for a garden. It was tucked into a low area, which I knew we wouldn't want for a house with the mud issues, but a bit more open than the rest of the land. I immediately knew: this is it.

All winter long, I dreamed about that garden. And just after our one-year "landiversary," we got to work.

Since we eventually plan to build a house on the property, we knew we’d need to do some serious land work. Luckily for me and my garden-loving heart, that land work practice started with the garden. My husband—who happens to be a heavy truck mechanic— and had found an old used bulldozer and spent the winter rebuilding and fixing it up. Its first job? My garden.

We started by taking down about 18 trees. It was intense work, but I’m so grateful for my husband’s skill. Back in high school, he placed 1st and 2nd in the state forestry competition—tree work is no joke, and it’s a relief knowing he can handle it safely and confidently.

Once the trees were down, the bulldozer came in to clear stumps and level the land. We saved what we could for firewood and burned the brush. I let the space guide the layout, following the natural flow of the land and trails. In the end, the garden measured a whopping 97 feet long by 64 feet wide, with a path around the perimeter wide enough for a tractor or four-wheeler.

This garden is just the beginning of our bigger dream. We’ve always known we wanted land. My husband grew up in a rural area; I grew up in the suburbs. When we bought our first home in 2007, I planted a tiny 2' x 3' garden—just some tomatoes and cucumbers. But I fell in love with it. Every year, that little garden grew. And now, all these years later, here we are: carving trails through the woods, building a garden from the ground up, and slowly assembling the tools to build the life we’ve always imagined.

We’re building our dream, one project at a time. And this garden? It’s where it all starts.