Grow Your Own

Comment by Mark on May 18, 2009 at 2:10pm

Definitely shouldn't judge people by looks. Some folks have a very frightening outward appearance, but it doesn't reveal a fraction of how dangerous they really are. ROFL

My third little potato plant just popped up today--a small cluster of tiny delicate leaves one would never expect to grow into a potato plant. I only planted five, so if the other two come up, I'm gonna dance the happy dance. Nobody warned me how big the squash plant was going to get. It already looks much too big for its 10-gallon container. All four corn plants are still doing well (knock wood) and already a foot high. The onions are thriving, and I've got the first shoots of a cherry tomato plant and two jalapeno pepper plants. Good luck on getting that plot, Curt. If it is meant for you, you'll get it, and if it isn't, you'll get a better one.

Comment by Mouse on May 18, 2009 at 5:24pm

My gardening would be so much better if I could go out and down the garden more easily. I behave like a person with agoraphobia, have done for years. The trees are much bigger this year, I might be completely hidden. Hmm.
The first baby sparrows are out and about with their parents feeding them as they go. Lots to be transplanted, peas, beans, squash, cornif shifting the big pots about were less of a liability, need more strength, cutting time on computer, bad for muscles.
Lots of rain here. No sign of global warming. Unusually cold for the time of year.
Can't afford hessian yet. Bought earrings on etsy, tut, silly girl. Really, don't be so mean.
Waldo, cardboard is brilliant. Try it on your weeds. Just put it on top and leave it, proper plain cardboard. Rots down beautifully, I put other stuff on top, take out enough of a section to plant when you want, using compost there.

Comment by pan on May 23, 2009 at 7:40am

Installing a drip-irrigation system in our backyard slope. Not too expensive (around $200 for two circuits totaling over 300 ft). Not too difficult once I read several pamphlets from Lowes and Home Depot.

Sure will be a lot better than moving the hose around for spot watering of our trees, bushes, veggies, etc.

Also installed a new lower water use toilet and.........no leaks the first time! God how I hate plumbing. Then I brewed a Saison Belgian style ale. Going to experiment with a wild rice brew next. Sometimes life is good.

Comment by Mouse on May 23, 2009 at 7:07pm

A good day here too, second day of sunshine, the garden is almost entirely private, trees all in leaf, and birds in song. Wonderful. Being surrounded by beautiful noises, leaves rustling, children playing. Perfection.
Small stayed last night (a new treat for us both on Fridays so we have more time together). In the morning she left me her book about the dancing mouse so that I can read it.
Of course you could say that gardening was an important displacement activity if you consider I might have joined the demonstration against police brutality and gone to "kettle" Scotland Yard. I spent the train fare on hessian for sacks and paths instead.

Comment by curt on May 24, 2009 at 3:51am

"hessian for sacks"..........

I had to look that one up, Mouse. There I was thinking, are we Hessians inexpensive or even purchasable?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hessian_(cloth)

and the hessian potato sack

you may recall me mentioning our having to save our salad plants from the slugs by potting the. Although they're now healthy and growing well without being eaten up by slugs, I discovered lice on the greener ones and have been treating this with a spray bottle filled with very strong coffee and a drop of dishwashing soap.

The weather here has been excellent these past few days. So far, the storms have avoided us. My neighbor says it's better to go dry than to be hit with a storm.

I purchased a pack of Chicorium intybus seeds to sow in June. Harvest would be just before the first frost and this plant can be stored a few weeks. What triggered me to try this kind of salad was a salad I had served at the brewery on the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City last June. Chicori is usually too bitter for many but if you know how, you can avoid the bitter taste and even spice it up with walnut chips and garlic crossies. Healthy salads don't necessarily have to be bitter. This one was actually bittersweet and very vitilizing. Ah, and a begian beer to boot......heavenly.

Comment by curt on May 24, 2009 at 3:53am

......."Ah, and a begian beer to boot......heavenly.".........

belgian beer

you know, the Belgians all say their beer is the best. I can't say they're wrong.

Comment by pan on May 24, 2009 at 7:21am

Finally got the compost pile going. Because of our slope and the high winds I thought it would be difficult to locate but there was a relatively flat/level spot right in the corner of the fence line that I was able to easily shovel into a pad that I laid out four concrete pavers. Drill some holes into a plastic garbage can, secure it with a bungie cord to the fence and voila. Even ran a drip line to it to keep it moist in our very arid climate.

Comment by curt on May 24, 2009 at 8:38am

added a few photos of our tiny garden, shotty quality though. Pan, a tip for the compost pile....let it develop into three stations; one for now, one where you put the result on the now pile in the fall and one where you put the fall pile in the spring. By the time you get to the spring pile, it's top notch humus ;-)

Comment by curt on May 24, 2009 at 8:39am

typo.........

"one for now, one where you put the result of the now pile in the fall and one where you put the fall pile in the spring"

Comment by Mouse on May 24, 2009 at 8:53am

My compost bins are bottomless and on bare earth. This allows the creatures in the soil and the micro-organisms to rise up into the compost and sing and dance. It doesn't like to be too wet. The best thing to water it with is urine, Bob Flowerdew recommends drinking lots of cider first.

Comment

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• …
• 13
• Next ›
• Page