Every spring, I say the same thing: this is the year I finally put in a garden. And every spring, life chuckles and tosses something new on my plate.

This time around, it’s a dishwasher on its last leg and an exterior door that’s one gust away from flying clean off the hinges. And since buying raised beds is a must for our yard—Axl does what he wants, where he wants—that dream garden keeps getting pushed a little further down the list.

Or at least, it used to.

I’ve decided I’m done waiting. Playing in the dirt is good for the soul, and it’s part of my heritage. It’s in my blood. I don’t want to miss out on that just because life won’t stop tossing curveballs. So this year, I switched things up and decided to start a foodscape garden right in the front yard.

Ever heard of a foodscape garden? It’s a little bit cottage garden, a little bit potager. Part veggies, part flowers, all charm. No perfect rows or fancy layouts—just a mix of edibles and ornamentals tucked in together.

It’s not ideal—and it won’t feed a family of four—but sometimes you just have to make do. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s how to make do.

So with my mind made up, I headed off to buy a few new plants.

I came home with a thornless blackberry bush, a Princesse Charlene de Monaco rose, dianthus, phlox, salvia, lemon thyme, Italian oregano, basil, and a big ol’ bag of Black Kow. Everything else (Endless Summer hydrangea and a Mr. Lincoln Rose bush) was planted in the backyard with hope and a prayer that it survives Axl.

I’ll add peppers and tomatoes to the foodscape garden soon, and a few more herbs and veggies as I go. No big plan—just planting what I love and seeing what sticks.

It might not be picture-perfect. It might not even look like much at first. But in time, it’ll yield enough for a little canning and some good soup. What more could you ask for?