Wintertime

Okay so it's been forever plus some. Did I happen to mention I'm a terrible communicator?





Here's my garden at this time...

As you can see it's doing double duty right now as a bird feeding station.

Why am I here... well I recieved a seed catalog the other day... than another... and yet another. The garden bug is starting to bite.

The Value of Life

I think you have to be a gardener or farmer to truly understand the true value and fragility of life.

As a gardener you start with a little seed. Small, dry, a completely inconsequential looking thing. Yet this will bring forth life abundantly... not just the plant but those that consume the plant. The chain of life, think about it, without this little seed, none of us would exist.

I remember sometimes when I lived in the city that I enjoyed the flowers, however, never truly appreciated just how precious were their blossoms. In a world of concrete and steel you begin to think concrete and steel... you forget in this type of world there can be no life. The easy shopping and access to food and plants blinds you to the source. The farmer and gardener.. tending the little seed, praying for it to grow, watching the weather, adding the nutrients, tending life. What job in the entire world could be more important (except a mother)?

I never truly grasped the joy and importance of the workers until I sat next to the little plant pushing its way through carefully mixed soil giving small sips of water and encouragement. This little plant that with care and a bit of luck, will some day bring nourishment to our family.

How much more fascinating are the "weeds" of nature. Those little seeds that lack helping hands yet spring up with life. The seeds that nurture a world of creatures both great and small. For those who have toiled, remember your work is not in vain, that it serves a purpose, whether a small garden on the patio or a thousand acres in the field, we are the future.... remind yourself and remind those who share the bounty of your harvest.

Nothing Like the Present...

Let's move on from the past, between the filling of the boxes and now there was endless planting, frustration, replanting when I realized the plant was in the wrong spot, forgetfulness, rain, exhaustion, a dog toy, an electic fence (which solved that problem), a baby crib, and finally done!!

Here it is in all its beginning of the season glory!!

The maple tree you see is to the south and the gardens are strategically situated to be covered by shade between the time of 2 and 4pm.... didn't know I had it in me, did ya?! The lovely wooden trellis in the background is made from a recalled baby crib, I love finding those little treasures. The blue buckets contain my tomatoes as I didn't want them taking over the garden, who wants to bet that they'll fall over before the season is over?

Bed 1: This bed is in the sun longest and contains the warm loving plants, the back row has one orangeglo watermelon for sure and three of the following: cucumber, pumpkin, cantalope, or another watermelon. In my eagerness to fill my life with green growing things I sort of left out the less important things... like labeling. I do however know that the four plants in front of it are three broccoli and one cauliflower, which ones which, well that will have to be a surprise. The five little plants you see are peppers. They are of various colors and one is a hottie, I think. Okay, maybe labeling might be higher up on the importance scale... collard greens are in here somewhere and I have two little lonely squares just waiting for me to fill them up with...

In the small holes you see nasturim, marigolds and an unknown flower... this time its the fault of the cat. Oh yeah... eventually there will be a trellis up for the back row.

Bed 2: This has two bush squash hastily replanted after I realized they need like nine squares each... I figured they could each have 8. The unidentified green object is green onions transplanted from the compost pile. No plans to eat, just hope they'll have some sort of keep the bug away powers.

Bed 3: My favorite bed, this one contains lettuce, planted late, but I'm still hopeful, carrots, a little bok choy, some radish seeds from 2002 that are coming up strong and 8 different types of beans that will be crawling up the lovely trellis.

Thats it for now.. the humourous side of me is a bit tired but shall be back in full vigor soon enough.

Mixing Mel's Mix

My plans shot for early planting as the last frost date had come and gone I frantically worked at getting things done for my garden.

I wanted worms in my garden so instead of putting down the weed cloth I followed the advice of someone on the square foot garden forum, and used newspaper, keep the weeds out let the worms in, great idea!!


Then came the mixing. I will tell you one thing... dirt isn't light, neither is peat moss, and vermiculite is too light. Okay I need approx. 3 cu ft each per garden. Okay don't have a tarp but honey does have a big sheet of black plastic. I don't know why? Hmmm... better keep him happy.
Let's see, compost, I bought 3 different kinds, lucky to find that many, spread out on clear plastic... where is all this plastic coming from anyways?? Mix together, easy, not... I need a hoe.. hey Mel said I wouldn't need a hoe... tsk tsk. Let you on a little secret.. I am lousy when it comes to calculating anything. I drew plans for my barn once, realized after that I added 16ft to one side. Would of been fine if I hadn't been using the drawing to get estimates.

Back to the crap... I really didn't think I had enough so I added some of my own horse manure that was composting. It was almost 6months old, figured I was safe. Now out to the big black plastic. Pour on the compost, next comes the peat moss... hmmm, 3.8cu ft, I only need 3 so I should take off .8. Scrape, scrape, scrape... yeah that looks about right. Boy... 3cu ft of peat moss is a lot! Shrug shoulders... grab hoe again to beat up peat moss. I don't know, that whole equal parts thing just flew over my head that day. It wasn't the only thing flying... vermiculite is LIGHT. Since I live in a wind tunnel it made mixing an exciting experience!

Mix, mix, mix... sweat dripping from my brow, my shoulders aching from the strain, hands shaking from exhaustion. When did the easy part come in I wonder? Put mix in bed... AAAAHHHH... I forgot the newspaper. Well there is no *&%#$ way I'm taking it back out, we'll see what happens. I'm fairly even tempered until exhaustion hits me. Then children cower as I walk down the street, men move to the other side and women cross themselves and pray.

Accomplished... I am finally done... hmm looks a little more brown than the book. Time to plant!!

Vermiculite

Ask any sfg'er what the bane of their existence is and they will tell you vermiculite. Vermiculite... from what I learned on a long, exhausting search... is mica rock popped like popcorn. In Mel's mix it is one of three ingredients... compost, peat moss, vermiculite, those three in equal amounts.

Compost... check... it's everywhere, especially on my farm.

Peat Moss... check... right there at the local farm store.

Vermiculite... vermiculite... where the #$(@& do I get vermiculite. Go to nursery I'm passing... "vermiculite, what's that, I've never heard of it before"... ??? ... okay maybe the old reliables have it... Walmart and Lowes ... "here it is, perilite""no I want vveerrmmmiiculite""vermiculite? what's that?" aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh... check out sfg forum "yep here are some places on line".. Okay so I figure that will work and start searching sites. Price $25 for 1 cu ft!! Are you kidding me, I need at least 12 cu ft. I finally find a place that sells it cheap. YEAH!! Oh wait... I forgot shipping.

You ever just want to throw your hands in the air and say forget? I do, often. Unfortunately, I married the man with the "look". Well there was one small nursery looking place that I hadn't tried. I drive over with my honey and wearily ask the owner if he has vermiculite. "No... but I can get you some""You know what vermiculite is???" He gave me a strange look for some reason. So off home I go to mix my Mel's mix..... after it stops raining.

It's the end of April already, my seedlings have forested the floor of our bedroom and my cat is nowhere to be found...

The Tortise husband and the Harried wife...

Week 1: Draw up plan for four sfg gardens... decide how many blocks are needed... locate said blocks.

Week 2: Drive to location of said blocks, "do you want the 14" or the 16"" WHAT??? I didn't know they come in different sizes. Throw all calculations and drawings out window. Calculate quickly in head, buy 48 bricks. Pray your close to the mark.

Week 3: "Concrete?? What do we need concrete for honey?""To make the pad for the cinder blocks dear""Pad, if I have a pad then the garden can't drain honey""No dear, the pad is only for under the blocks, I'll make some forms""Forms??" Go buy concrete and mortar.

Week 4: "You know honey I was hoping to grow some vegetables this year, right""It will get done soon enough dear""My onions and leeks are dying honey""Told you not to plant them yet dear" Forms are complete, now finalize location, realize you didn't buy enough blocks for 4 gardens, settle for 3 "just as long as it gets done sometime in the next century".

Week 5: "I should plant something in the little holes, honey, maybe my flowers""They'll drown dear""Isn't there a way honey?"Well...dear.... I suppose I could drill holes near the bottom for excess water to drain"That sounds perfect honey, thanks" Holes drilled in sides, first garden frame finished, other postponed due to rain, sulk until end of week.

Week 6: "At least the rain stopped dear""Yeah, but it's almost time for last frost and all my onions are dead, honey""You can always plant more dear""I'm going to plant the stupid cat if he doesn't stop eating my seedlings""You'll get them outside soon enough" Finish final two gardens, jump up and down until realization hits that you haven't purchased anything for the Mel's mix.

*SIGH*

The story of the blocks.

I told my honey all about the square foot garden method that I was following... my husband of just two years already knows my habit of procrastinating.

"This is why I'm doing the square foot method, its easier and faster."
"Okay, I'll make your squares"

My husband has also learned that it's useless to try and reason with me when I'm in a "mood".

My thinking: Hey we have a bunch of old 2" x 6" lying around, just grab a bunch and nail together, throw in some special Mel's mix and voila I have my square foot gardens.

His thinking: What is the best way to make gardens that will last into the next century barring nuclear bombing? I know I'll make them out of blocks.

"Honey, why can't we just use the boards"
"Well dear, they won't last plus they'll attract termites"
"Do termites like vegetables, honey?"

So to keep the peace and avoid the attacking hoards of house eating termites (which I still haven't seen) I agreed on the cinder blocks.