I remember in the past, when I was happily entrenched in city life, I used to visit friends who were gardeners. I would dutifully trudge out to their gardens while they showed me all the rows of stuff they had planted, carefully explaining what each row was, and when they were expecting to harvest etc. etc. It was as exciting to me as watching paint dry. I could not understand how any of this could be so exciting.
Yesterday, after I finished planting, I turned on the sprinkler and just sat out there on my bench and watched the sprinkler go back and forth. I was trying to think of who I could invite over to feed, and show off my garden to. EEEEE GADS! Were these thoughts really inside my head? I could not believe that I had come to this. So...I am making a promise to all my friends and family:
If I invite you over for dinner, I will not drag you out to the garden. I will not talk about the garden. I will engage in enlightened, meaningful conversation about world events and the state of our economy. I promise I will be the same person you know and love. I will feed you fresh, organic food from my garden, and I promise I will never gloat about how healthy I am eating and how fabulously fresh all my food tastes. I will just feed you, and entertain you and enjoy your company.
I love you all!
Karen
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Lessons
Hello everyone...what a great learning day today. I learned 3 very valuable lessons today:
1) My eyes are bigger than my garden space-I have taken up every inch of space available and I did not plant enough garden peas (the kind you have to shell), or potatoes. I will see what works and make adjustments next year.
2) Keep all the seeds together. I found some garlic seeds and some sunflower seeds hiding under some gardening books and papers that I have neatly scattered around my storage area (the flat counter in the dining room).
3) Those wonderful knee high rubber boots that are so good for wet weather and mud gardening are very practical if you are are a workout fanatic and have telephone pole size muscular legs. I couldn't figure out why I walked out to the greenhouse to get plants, then to the shed to get a hoe, and then back to garden and was huffing and puffing and out of breath. I was planning my heart transplant and my recovery. I wore my old comfortable favorite tennies out this morning and holy smokes....I made several trips out to the greenhouse, the shed and back again and didn't even work up a sweat. I could have recited the Declaration of Independence while I was walking, except I don't remember it all. So...the boots are retired unless I am harvesting veggies this fall in the mud.
I woke up this morning early...about 7:30 because I have the day to sleep in and do nothing. I only sleep late when I really need to get up and get busy. So I decided to get the garden work done early. I planted the popcorn, the garden pea starts, the potatoes, and some yellow onions.
I dug the required 4 short rows for the popcorn. The books say four short rows side by side so the wind can pollinate the plants. I am a bit skeptical about that popcorn coming up. The seeds I ordered looked exactly like the popcorn I get in a jar to dump in the popper. Suspicious. I may have been able to get my popcorn seeds out of the pantry.
The books said the garden peas do best when staked. I have no more space to stake, so I put up tomato fences (those wire, cone shaped doohickeys that you push into the ground), and planted the peas around the bottom of those. It is going to look decorative anyway, even if the peas don't actually produce. I also took some bamboo stakes that were sitting around and made a tee pee and planted some peas around the bottom of that. So we will see how that goes. Kind of a high rise style of gardening. I just don't see why I have to spread out. Maybe I am about to find out.
The potatoes and the onions went in quickly, but there are special things to do to both of them. I had onion bulbs...don't know if that is what they are called. But the directions said to peel the top back...the skin stuff I assume, and plant them close to the surface with the top exposed to the light. These bulbs are small, so I was sitting down, carefully and delicately peeling, and covering them so just a small part of the tip was exposed. I hope I didn't put them in upside down..I have no idea.
It is such a good thing that we are isolated because I was wearing my sweats and as I would scoot backwards on my rear end down the row of onions, my sweats would pull down just a bit. I couldn't really stick my dirty hands in my pants to pull them up or I would get dirt down my underwear. So my sweats gradually rode down my butt and by the time I got to the end of the row, well...I looked like I could have fixed the plumbing.
The potatoes were easy to plant, but the directions said to fertilize the soil 2 1/2 inches away from the plant. 2 1/2 inches? Is this precision work that I need a tape measure for? Couldn't they just say "beside"? I mean they are totally fine writing "when the soil is warm" and "when the last frost is over". So I hope it doesn't require precision because I just sprinkled fertilizer next to the taters. Now I guess I am supposed to watch for the plants to start growing and keep piling dirt around them leaving just the tops exposed until the mound of soil is about 4 inches high. Then I can place straw over them until they are ready to harvest. I have no idea when that is, because the directions stop there. Anyone????
So now I am done planting what I am going to grow. I am beginning my research on composting. I thought I could just throw my leftovers into the dirt and wait for it to go back into the soil. Au contraire. So thank you for reading, and until tomorrow...when we begin a new phase of gardening.
Karen
1) My eyes are bigger than my garden space-I have taken up every inch of space available and I did not plant enough garden peas (the kind you have to shell), or potatoes. I will see what works and make adjustments next year.
2) Keep all the seeds together. I found some garlic seeds and some sunflower seeds hiding under some gardening books and papers that I have neatly scattered around my storage area (the flat counter in the dining room).
3) Those wonderful knee high rubber boots that are so good for wet weather and mud gardening are very practical if you are are a workout fanatic and have telephone pole size muscular legs. I couldn't figure out why I walked out to the greenhouse to get plants, then to the shed to get a hoe, and then back to garden and was huffing and puffing and out of breath. I was planning my heart transplant and my recovery. I wore my old comfortable favorite tennies out this morning and holy smokes....I made several trips out to the greenhouse, the shed and back again and didn't even work up a sweat. I could have recited the Declaration of Independence while I was walking, except I don't remember it all. So...the boots are retired unless I am harvesting veggies this fall in the mud.
I woke up this morning early...about 7:30 because I have the day to sleep in and do nothing. I only sleep late when I really need to get up and get busy. So I decided to get the garden work done early. I planted the popcorn, the garden pea starts, the potatoes, and some yellow onions.
I dug the required 4 short rows for the popcorn. The books say four short rows side by side so the wind can pollinate the plants. I am a bit skeptical about that popcorn coming up. The seeds I ordered looked exactly like the popcorn I get in a jar to dump in the popper. Suspicious. I may have been able to get my popcorn seeds out of the pantry.
The books said the garden peas do best when staked. I have no more space to stake, so I put up tomato fences (those wire, cone shaped doohickeys that you push into the ground), and planted the peas around the bottom of those. It is going to look decorative anyway, even if the peas don't actually produce. I also took some bamboo stakes that were sitting around and made a tee pee and planted some peas around the bottom of that. So we will see how that goes. Kind of a high rise style of gardening. I just don't see why I have to spread out. Maybe I am about to find out.
The potatoes and the onions went in quickly, but there are special things to do to both of them. I had onion bulbs...don't know if that is what they are called. But the directions said to peel the top back...the skin stuff I assume, and plant them close to the surface with the top exposed to the light. These bulbs are small, so I was sitting down, carefully and delicately peeling, and covering them so just a small part of the tip was exposed. I hope I didn't put them in upside down..I have no idea.
It is such a good thing that we are isolated because I was wearing my sweats and as I would scoot backwards on my rear end down the row of onions, my sweats would pull down just a bit. I couldn't really stick my dirty hands in my pants to pull them up or I would get dirt down my underwear. So my sweats gradually rode down my butt and by the time I got to the end of the row, well...I looked like I could have fixed the plumbing.
The potatoes were easy to plant, but the directions said to fertilize the soil 2 1/2 inches away from the plant. 2 1/2 inches? Is this precision work that I need a tape measure for? Couldn't they just say "beside"? I mean they are totally fine writing "when the soil is warm" and "when the last frost is over". So I hope it doesn't require precision because I just sprinkled fertilizer next to the taters. Now I guess I am supposed to watch for the plants to start growing and keep piling dirt around them leaving just the tops exposed until the mound of soil is about 4 inches high. Then I can place straw over them until they are ready to harvest. I have no idea when that is, because the directions stop there. Anyone????
So now I am done planting what I am going to grow. I am beginning my research on composting. I thought I could just throw my leftovers into the dirt and wait for it to go back into the soil. Au contraire. So thank you for reading, and until tomorrow...when we begin a new phase of gardening.
Karen
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday
Today is my day to do nothing. But I decided that part of the nothing that I wanted to do was to thank everyone who has read, commented and followed this blog. It powers me on to share my goings on when I know that someone else may hear me, and quite possibly can offer some advice. I get up each morning and the first thing I do is look to see if I have more comments or any advice. Thank you all.
Does anyone know if the peppers (not bell) can grow in 1 gallon containers? I transplanted all the starts to 1 gallon containers, and I am hoping they will thrive in the greenhouse until it gets hot enough to put them outside. This will be a good experiment for next year. I am hoping that these pots will be big enough and can go out on the the deck and soak up some radiated heat. They are so colorful and decorative that I am hoping this will work. Those pesky deer are my biggest concern. I think if I put the pots back several feet from the edge of the deck, then the deer won't come up on the deck to eat them.
Tomorrow the planting will be done. Yipee!!! The popcorn is going in tomorrow. Then I will plant some herbs in pots. I will "keep you posted".
Have a wonderful Sunday, until tomorrow!
Karen
Does anyone know if the peppers (not bell) can grow in 1 gallon containers? I transplanted all the starts to 1 gallon containers, and I am hoping they will thrive in the greenhouse until it gets hot enough to put them outside. This will be a good experiment for next year. I am hoping that these pots will be big enough and can go out on the the deck and soak up some radiated heat. They are so colorful and decorative that I am hoping this will work. Those pesky deer are my biggest concern. I think if I put the pots back several feet from the edge of the deck, then the deer won't come up on the deck to eat them.
Tomorrow the planting will be done. Yipee!!! The popcorn is going in tomorrow. Then I will plant some herbs in pots. I will "keep you posted".
Have a wonderful Sunday, until tomorrow!
Karen
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Imbalance
I have noticed while gardening that there seems to be a great imbalance between what I perceive as usefulness of the crop, and ease of growth. I don't need or have any use for one of those damn weeds out there, or any of the hearty, thick, hard to remove stems of grass that are popping up everywhere. I would be jumping for joy and cartwheeling around the neighborhood if the bunching onions and the pathetic pepper starts would sprout up in half a second like those weeds and all that grass. Why is it that our food sources are hard to grow and the weeds that are not edible are taking over the land? It makes me wonder if we are being too picky about our food. Maybe some of this stuff is edible, and I am just making a bunch of work for myself planting all this gourmet stuff like lettuce and peas. I think this gardening is making me lose my mind. I need to maintain my sanity to get this garden done.
We got up early today and went to the "city" ....population next to nothing....to look for some seed potatoes, (I am way too late) and some garlic and white onions to plant. I did find some potatoes, which I have cut up and am drying for 24 hours before I plant them. I am hoping it's not too late to plant them. You see, that's the problem with gardening instructions. They say things like: "plant when the soil is warm", or "plant when the last frost has occurred". How the heck do I know when the last frost will be? I have to wait until August in this area if I want to be sure it won't frost again. I also would really like to know what "warm soil" is. My definition of warm is 75 degrees. I am just beginning to dry out and get warm when the temp hits 75. So I may have missed the time to plant the potatoes because I don't know what warm is. But I will know for next year.
So today, I planted 2 rows of head lettuce seeds. They are the tiniest little things I have seen. I couldn't see them after they hit the ground. I hoed 3 inch deep trenches about 10 ft long and then sprinkled the seeds down in the trench. At least I think I did. I couldn't see them. I guess in a week or two I will know.
I also planted a hill of summer squash and a hill of pumpkins. I am not sure what the hill is for, but all the instructions say the same thing. The directions say to put 4 or 5 seeds per 4 ft diameter hill. I cheated and added a few extra...just in case. I may regret that decision, but I am guessing I can always thin them. I read that in all the books, about thinning. So I am leaving my options open. I also made the hills 4 ft. apart. I did it just in time because as soon as I got everything planted it started to rain. Yay for me! Free water!!!! I was very happy about that. But here in the northwest it is pretty much like that most of the time. Everything outside gets watered with regularity.
I mentioned yesterday or the day before that none of the pepper starts came up. Well, I didn't open the greenhouse door or vents for 2 days, and it got to the 90's in there. I went out there this afternoon to look at the plants we bought, and I'll be darned if 4 or 5 of the peat pots didn't have little green sprouts popping up out of them. Call me crazy, but I think it hasn't been hot enough in there for them. I may end up with LOTS of pepper plants. I will run out of room if they all start coming up. I may have to just start training the neighbors and take them some starts. I want them to be used to getting little presents from me by the time I start to bring the squash around because it is taking over the garden.
I also made the decision to try to grow some popcorn. I know this is totally nuts, but it will be fun to try. So tomorrow I am going to soak the popcorn kernels and plant them on Monday. I have absolutely no idea how this is going to work, because of the climate, but we will see. The directions say that popcorn needs to be pollinated, and the wind does that. So I am supposed to plant them in short rows and close together. The suggestion is four short rows, and a foot apart. So that is my next project.
Now that I have all this stuff in the ground, I have to do some research about fertilizing, thinning, maintenance, and all kinds of other information.
You know, I was thinking, there may a possibility that at the end of all this, after all my research, and care and correctness and everything else that I am trying to do right, I may find out that this stuff will grow better if I just toss the seeds in the air and let it go. I think sometimes we can fuss too much, and I may be approaching that point. But I am going to keep on fussing and working, and after this growing season is over, I will look back and laugh at myself, and keep doing the same old thing.
Once again, open to suggestions, and until tomorrow...
Karen
We got up early today and went to the "city" ....population next to nothing....to look for some seed potatoes, (I am way too late) and some garlic and white onions to plant. I did find some potatoes, which I have cut up and am drying for 24 hours before I plant them. I am hoping it's not too late to plant them. You see, that's the problem with gardening instructions. They say things like: "plant when the soil is warm", or "plant when the last frost has occurred". How the heck do I know when the last frost will be? I have to wait until August in this area if I want to be sure it won't frost again. I also would really like to know what "warm soil" is. My definition of warm is 75 degrees. I am just beginning to dry out and get warm when the temp hits 75. So I may have missed the time to plant the potatoes because I don't know what warm is. But I will know for next year.
So today, I planted 2 rows of head lettuce seeds. They are the tiniest little things I have seen. I couldn't see them after they hit the ground. I hoed 3 inch deep trenches about 10 ft long and then sprinkled the seeds down in the trench. At least I think I did. I couldn't see them. I guess in a week or two I will know.
I also planted a hill of summer squash and a hill of pumpkins. I am not sure what the hill is for, but all the instructions say the same thing. The directions say to put 4 or 5 seeds per 4 ft diameter hill. I cheated and added a few extra...just in case. I may regret that decision, but I am guessing I can always thin them. I read that in all the books, about thinning. So I am leaving my options open. I also made the hills 4 ft. apart. I did it just in time because as soon as I got everything planted it started to rain. Yay for me! Free water!!!! I was very happy about that. But here in the northwest it is pretty much like that most of the time. Everything outside gets watered with regularity.
I mentioned yesterday or the day before that none of the pepper starts came up. Well, I didn't open the greenhouse door or vents for 2 days, and it got to the 90's in there. I went out there this afternoon to look at the plants we bought, and I'll be darned if 4 or 5 of the peat pots didn't have little green sprouts popping up out of them. Call me crazy, but I think it hasn't been hot enough in there for them. I may end up with LOTS of pepper plants. I will run out of room if they all start coming up. I may have to just start training the neighbors and take them some starts. I want them to be used to getting little presents from me by the time I start to bring the squash around because it is taking over the garden.
I also made the decision to try to grow some popcorn. I know this is totally nuts, but it will be fun to try. So tomorrow I am going to soak the popcorn kernels and plant them on Monday. I have absolutely no idea how this is going to work, because of the climate, but we will see. The directions say that popcorn needs to be pollinated, and the wind does that. So I am supposed to plant them in short rows and close together. The suggestion is four short rows, and a foot apart. So that is my next project.
Now that I have all this stuff in the ground, I have to do some research about fertilizing, thinning, maintenance, and all kinds of other information.
You know, I was thinking, there may a possibility that at the end of all this, after all my research, and care and correctness and everything else that I am trying to do right, I may find out that this stuff will grow better if I just toss the seeds in the air and let it go. I think sometimes we can fuss too much, and I may be approaching that point. But I am going to keep on fussing and working, and after this growing season is over, I will look back and laugh at myself, and keep doing the same old thing.
Once again, open to suggestions, and until tomorrow...
Karen
Friday, May 27, 2011
Investment
When I originally began planning the garden, I was excited by the prospect of fresh food. Unprocessed, no chemicals, fresh, home grown produce. It felt right to be eating pure food. I am a bit of a purist when it comes to food anyway. I don't like lots of sauces and condiments cluttering up the flavor of the food. Light enhancement is the best for my tastes. So, the thought of eating this pure food motivated me.
However, a strange attitude is evolving since I have planted the garden. Something I have heard about but thought was a bit exaggerated and maybe a little melodramatic. I actually am noticing a feeling of gratitude and respect I am having for the dirt and the bugs and everything else that goes into the growth of my food. It's strange and interesting. I am also noticing more things around me. It rains 9 months out of the year here in the northwest. I am used to going about my business without heed to the weather. Now, suddenly, the temperature and what the weather is doing is of utmost importance to me.
So, it rained all day yesterday. The peas are growing so fast I can almost see them growing. I have heard that the onions will do well and go crazy and maybe even create stray plants and grow next year, even if I don't plant any-but there is no sign of that now. The rain smashed down the tiny lettuce leaves. They seem so delicate that I am wondering how they will survive the elements and get to the point where I can eat the lettuce. The books all say to "thin" the lettuce once it starts to grow. Thin the lettuce? It is pretty thin already, and if I pull up any starts I may never get a salad from the garden. No sign of the beans yet. I am crossing my fingers.
Today I plan to put the zucchini and the summer squash into the ground. I am planning (against the advice of almost everyone) to plant 6 plants. I want extra for my freezer so I can enjoy it all year round. I am going to try my hand at baking zucchini bread. I will probably be the neighbor that everyone hides from when they see me coming with armloads of zucchini to leave on their porch. I have great faith that the squash and pumpkins will do well...at least according to the stories. So, onward and ahead. I am hoping to have peas in 3 weeks!!!! Woo Hoo! I have a vision of myself standing in my garden in the bright sun, picking snow peas off the vine and eating them warm and fresh. We'll see what reality brings.
I would love ideas from all of you. I am willing to try new things and plant anything that might grow here in the wet northwest. Until next time....
Karen
However, a strange attitude is evolving since I have planted the garden. Something I have heard about but thought was a bit exaggerated and maybe a little melodramatic. I actually am noticing a feeling of gratitude and respect I am having for the dirt and the bugs and everything else that goes into the growth of my food. It's strange and interesting. I am also noticing more things around me. It rains 9 months out of the year here in the northwest. I am used to going about my business without heed to the weather. Now, suddenly, the temperature and what the weather is doing is of utmost importance to me.
So, it rained all day yesterday. The peas are growing so fast I can almost see them growing. I have heard that the onions will do well and go crazy and maybe even create stray plants and grow next year, even if I don't plant any-but there is no sign of that now. The rain smashed down the tiny lettuce leaves. They seem so delicate that I am wondering how they will survive the elements and get to the point where I can eat the lettuce. The books all say to "thin" the lettuce once it starts to grow. Thin the lettuce? It is pretty thin already, and if I pull up any starts I may never get a salad from the garden. No sign of the beans yet. I am crossing my fingers.
Today I plan to put the zucchini and the summer squash into the ground. I am planning (against the advice of almost everyone) to plant 6 plants. I want extra for my freezer so I can enjoy it all year round. I am going to try my hand at baking zucchini bread. I will probably be the neighbor that everyone hides from when they see me coming with armloads of zucchini to leave on their porch. I have great faith that the squash and pumpkins will do well...at least according to the stories. So, onward and ahead. I am hoping to have peas in 3 weeks!!!! Woo Hoo! I have a vision of myself standing in my garden in the bright sun, picking snow peas off the vine and eating them warm and fresh. We'll see what reality brings.
I would love ideas from all of you. I am willing to try new things and plant anything that might grow here in the wet northwest. Until next time....
Karen
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Planting
I have had snow pea, lettuce and onion starts in the greenhouse. The garden is ready, the plants are ready, but I'm not. What if I plant them and no food? We have spent a good amount of money and lots of time and energy. So the pressure is on to produce.
I went out to the garden yesterday with hoe and shovel in hand. The stakes were all in for the snow peas. The soil was tilled and ready. I loaded all my starts onto the cart for the trek to the garden area. I had carefully planned out where I was going to plant everything. Now the moment was here.
There are three stakes placed about 8 feet apart, with string running from stake to stake . There are 5 levels of string. The idea is that the peas climb up the string and begin to produce. So I dug a trench (instructions say 3 inches deep) along each side of the string. The book says to plant plants on both sides....or maybe it says seeds, and I don't have to grow starts...don't remember. The first row I plant too far away from the lowermost string. I can only hope they attach to the string. I think I am going to have to go out and as they get taller, just place them on the string. The trench down the other side was almost directly under the string...that will go in my notes for next year.
Then I dug trenches for 2 rows of beans. I soaked the beans overnight before dropping them in the soil 1-2 inches apart. They are bush beans and they are huge. I wonder if I could harvest some beans this year, and save some for seeds next year? Are these things processed in some way before they are packaged, or am I paying for dried up beans from last year?
Next the salad bowl lettuce goes in the ground. I started plants from seed in the greenhouse, but someone told me 2 days ago that I don't need starts...just pour the seeds in the ground. That sounds fabulous to me. It is much easier to drop some seeds instead of planting peat pots. I think I made a lot of extra work for myself.
Bunching onions went in next...these are known commonly as green onions (who knew?). I also had peat pots with starts in them. Now that was something to see...these little teeny threadlike starts sticking up out of this pot. I could barely see them, and after I got them planted, I could only see a couple of the tiny little threadlike green sprouts. I hope I haven't killed them all. I think those would have gone in better as seeds also...anyone ? anyone? Help...what needs to be started in pots? I get lots of conflicting information, but I am sure there is a best way to do things, I just don't know what it is.
I was waiting for the communing with nature to occur as I was out there sweating, dirty, with bugs crawling all over the place. My back hurt from bending, and my boobs were falling out of my bra. This was fun. Not feeling at one with nature yet.
After everything was in the ground, we hooked up the hose and sprinkler and started to water all the wilty looking greenery. I went in the house, got a drink, washed up and walked back out to check the watering. I have to say....it felt very good to see all those tiny green plants out there inside the fence, and imagining that soon...very soon...I could eat some lettuce and peas. That felt like a major sense of accomplishment. I may like this soon.
I went out this morning when I got up and looked at all the little plants. They looked a little less wilty this morning. Is wilty a word? If these things actually grow, and we get some clean, healthy edible food, I may try this again. That would be a success story for me.
I ran out of steam yesterday, but this weekend I plan to put in the potatoes, squash, leeks, cucumbers and more lettuce. If any of you have any advice, I will gratefully accept it. You may save me time and energy, and lord knows I could use some good experienced advice.
Until next time,
Karen
I went out to the garden yesterday with hoe and shovel in hand. The stakes were all in for the snow peas. The soil was tilled and ready. I loaded all my starts onto the cart for the trek to the garden area. I had carefully planned out where I was going to plant everything. Now the moment was here.
There are three stakes placed about 8 feet apart, with string running from stake to stake . There are 5 levels of string. The idea is that the peas climb up the string and begin to produce. So I dug a trench (instructions say 3 inches deep) along each side of the string. The book says to plant plants on both sides....or maybe it says seeds, and I don't have to grow starts...don't remember. The first row I plant too far away from the lowermost string. I can only hope they attach to the string. I think I am going to have to go out and as they get taller, just place them on the string. The trench down the other side was almost directly under the string...that will go in my notes for next year.
Then I dug trenches for 2 rows of beans. I soaked the beans overnight before dropping them in the soil 1-2 inches apart. They are bush beans and they are huge. I wonder if I could harvest some beans this year, and save some for seeds next year? Are these things processed in some way before they are packaged, or am I paying for dried up beans from last year?
Next the salad bowl lettuce goes in the ground. I started plants from seed in the greenhouse, but someone told me 2 days ago that I don't need starts...just pour the seeds in the ground. That sounds fabulous to me. It is much easier to drop some seeds instead of planting peat pots. I think I made a lot of extra work for myself.
Bunching onions went in next...these are known commonly as green onions (who knew?). I also had peat pots with starts in them. Now that was something to see...these little teeny threadlike starts sticking up out of this pot. I could barely see them, and after I got them planted, I could only see a couple of the tiny little threadlike green sprouts. I hope I haven't killed them all. I think those would have gone in better as seeds also...anyone ? anyone? Help...what needs to be started in pots? I get lots of conflicting information, but I am sure there is a best way to do things, I just don't know what it is.
I was waiting for the communing with nature to occur as I was out there sweating, dirty, with bugs crawling all over the place. My back hurt from bending, and my boobs were falling out of my bra. This was fun. Not feeling at one with nature yet.
After everything was in the ground, we hooked up the hose and sprinkler and started to water all the wilty looking greenery. I went in the house, got a drink, washed up and walked back out to check the watering. I have to say....it felt very good to see all those tiny green plants out there inside the fence, and imagining that soon...very soon...I could eat some lettuce and peas. That felt like a major sense of accomplishment. I may like this soon.
I went out this morning when I got up and looked at all the little plants. They looked a little less wilty this morning. Is wilty a word? If these things actually grow, and we get some clean, healthy edible food, I may try this again. That would be a success story for me.
I ran out of steam yesterday, but this weekend I plan to put in the potatoes, squash, leeks, cucumbers and more lettuce. If any of you have any advice, I will gratefully accept it. You may save me time and energy, and lord knows I could use some good experienced advice.
Until next time,
Karen
Monday, May 23, 2011
I Met a Boy
Ok...when I was 15, I met a boy. He was my first real attempt at a relationship, my first kiss, my first love. Oh the bittersweet memories. My mother forced me to breakup with him, saying I was too young to be so serious. Last year, after several marriages and 4 kids later, we reconnected at a reunion. As it turns out, he was as kind and wonderful as I remember him. We still loved each other and we created a life together.
I am a die hard city slicker. I love being close to the modern conveniences. He lives out in the country in the "middle of nowhere". So I packed up all my books and what furniture I wanted, and trekked off to the country.
Now, I have always hated " yard work", as I so disdainfully called it. You know, the kind of grass mowing and weeding that you do in a neighborhood so that you don't devalue all the property in the area. So how did I end up in the woods, with critters crawling around and deer eating the foliage in my back yard? I decided to move in with this man...that's how.
Over the last year I have come to appreciate the space, and the quiet. I made a decision to do something I never thought I would do....plant a garden and grow some good food. Easy right? Nope.
I got out my western garden book, poured through the pages, trying to decide what to plant and when to do it. This isn't an easy task. My state is divided up into at least 7 regions based on temperature, rainfall, and who knows what else. I am in region 5. So this book tells me everything I can plant for my region. I decided I wanted lettuce, snow peas, summer squash, tomatoes, 4 different varieties of bell peppers, yukon gold potatoes, pumpkins, bush beans, leeks, cucumbers, and some sunflowers around the edges to look like the pictures in the magazines.
I made my way through the garden stores gathering seeds. I ordered some online, and I frequented the local garden sales at the high schools, getting flowers and some tomato starts grown by the FFA classes. Whew! I had no idea this was so much work when I set out in Feb doing the research and the ordering.
Then there is the whole land preparation. There was an area that my fiance had prepared several years ago for a garden. It was overgrown with grass and weeds. There was also the matter of the deer. I didn't not want my beautiful garden to be a buffet for the deer. I don't mind sharing, but deer can ravage a garden pretty quickly, as I discovered when I put out some geraniums on the front deck only to find a potful of stems the next morning. Those pesky deer have 2 1/2 acres of forest to forage and they come up on my porch and eat my geraniums!! I now own a slingshot.
So we tilled the garden much too early the first time. It rained and turned into a mud farm out there. I am in the pacific northwest where it rains 9 months out of the year. We let it dry out and tilled it again about 2 weeks ago. Then we got fence posts in...the metal kind with the little nubbies on them. We strung wire around the top and this last weekend we hung netting all around the garden area. I think I am late getting going.
I have a small greenhouse and I started growing peppers, snow peas, lettuce and tomato starts in the greenhouse getting them ready for planting. None of the peppers came up. I have since learned that it was too cold and I watered them too much. I have peat pots full of snow peas and lettuce that are flourishing. I have also discovered that I could have planted the lettuce in the ground a month ago. So far...not so good. LOL
So ....tomorrow, I am going to spend the day securing the bottom of the netting into the ground, planting the peas, beans (which you have to soak overnight), squash, cucumber, lettuce and potatoes. Did you know that there are cold crops (those which grow in cold weather, and warm crops? Go figure...I REALLY am an amateur. So I am going to put all the cold crops in the ground tomorrow. I have also discovered that these snow peas need some stakes and string so they can climb and grow upward. The plant will yield more. I also read that there is some powder that you coat the seed potatoes with to prevent them from rotting.
So as a hopelessly inexperienced amateur...I have some questions. As my potatoes start to grow shoots that come above the ground I am supposed to pile dirt around the green planty looking part. I am to continue to do this until the dirt is about 4-6 inches high...so I guess I am going to have gopher -looking mounds of dirt in the garden where the potatoes are growing. Then I am to leave them in there and let them grow, and harvest them when they are ready. They are growing underground for crying out loud...how do I know when they are ready? I can't see them. Also...with some of the warm crops it says to plant when the ground gets warm. What the heck does that mean? What is warm? Sometimes it doesn't get warm here until July and then gets cold again in September. Are there some vegetables that grow better than others? I am guessing that oranges, melons and other fruits of that sort cannot be grown in the northwest, but does anyone out there know what kind of "warm" crops we can grow here?
So I am off to my greenhouse. We will see what tomorrow brings. I can use all the advise I can get. I am pretty sure that after my planting project tomorrow I will have many more questions. Signing off until tomorrow....
Karen-the most amateurish of beginners.
I am a die hard city slicker. I love being close to the modern conveniences. He lives out in the country in the "middle of nowhere". So I packed up all my books and what furniture I wanted, and trekked off to the country.
Now, I have always hated " yard work", as I so disdainfully called it. You know, the kind of grass mowing and weeding that you do in a neighborhood so that you don't devalue all the property in the area. So how did I end up in the woods, with critters crawling around and deer eating the foliage in my back yard? I decided to move in with this man...that's how.
Over the last year I have come to appreciate the space, and the quiet. I made a decision to do something I never thought I would do....plant a garden and grow some good food. Easy right? Nope.
I got out my western garden book, poured through the pages, trying to decide what to plant and when to do it. This isn't an easy task. My state is divided up into at least 7 regions based on temperature, rainfall, and who knows what else. I am in region 5. So this book tells me everything I can plant for my region. I decided I wanted lettuce, snow peas, summer squash, tomatoes, 4 different varieties of bell peppers, yukon gold potatoes, pumpkins, bush beans, leeks, cucumbers, and some sunflowers around the edges to look like the pictures in the magazines.
I made my way through the garden stores gathering seeds. I ordered some online, and I frequented the local garden sales at the high schools, getting flowers and some tomato starts grown by the FFA classes. Whew! I had no idea this was so much work when I set out in Feb doing the research and the ordering.
Then there is the whole land preparation. There was an area that my fiance had prepared several years ago for a garden. It was overgrown with grass and weeds. There was also the matter of the deer. I didn't not want my beautiful garden to be a buffet for the deer. I don't mind sharing, but deer can ravage a garden pretty quickly, as I discovered when I put out some geraniums on the front deck only to find a potful of stems the next morning. Those pesky deer have 2 1/2 acres of forest to forage and they come up on my porch and eat my geraniums!! I now own a slingshot.
So we tilled the garden much too early the first time. It rained and turned into a mud farm out there. I am in the pacific northwest where it rains 9 months out of the year. We let it dry out and tilled it again about 2 weeks ago. Then we got fence posts in...the metal kind with the little nubbies on them. We strung wire around the top and this last weekend we hung netting all around the garden area. I think I am late getting going.
I have a small greenhouse and I started growing peppers, snow peas, lettuce and tomato starts in the greenhouse getting them ready for planting. None of the peppers came up. I have since learned that it was too cold and I watered them too much. I have peat pots full of snow peas and lettuce that are flourishing. I have also discovered that I could have planted the lettuce in the ground a month ago. So far...not so good. LOL
So ....tomorrow, I am going to spend the day securing the bottom of the netting into the ground, planting the peas, beans (which you have to soak overnight), squash, cucumber, lettuce and potatoes. Did you know that there are cold crops (those which grow in cold weather, and warm crops? Go figure...I REALLY am an amateur. So I am going to put all the cold crops in the ground tomorrow. I have also discovered that these snow peas need some stakes and string so they can climb and grow upward. The plant will yield more. I also read that there is some powder that you coat the seed potatoes with to prevent them from rotting.
So as a hopelessly inexperienced amateur...I have some questions. As my potatoes start to grow shoots that come above the ground I am supposed to pile dirt around the green planty looking part. I am to continue to do this until the dirt is about 4-6 inches high...so I guess I am going to have gopher -looking mounds of dirt in the garden where the potatoes are growing. Then I am to leave them in there and let them grow, and harvest them when they are ready. They are growing underground for crying out loud...how do I know when they are ready? I can't see them. Also...with some of the warm crops it says to plant when the ground gets warm. What the heck does that mean? What is warm? Sometimes it doesn't get warm here until July and then gets cold again in September. Are there some vegetables that grow better than others? I am guessing that oranges, melons and other fruits of that sort cannot be grown in the northwest, but does anyone out there know what kind of "warm" crops we can grow here?
So I am off to my greenhouse. We will see what tomorrow brings. I can use all the advise I can get. I am pretty sure that after my planting project tomorrow I will have many more questions. Signing off until tomorrow....
Karen-the most amateurish of beginners.
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