Animals
- 100% Chance Of Vegetables!
We're in the midst of a weather pattern that only a gardener could love! Daily storms have provided enough moisture to make watering unnecessary. The garden has literally exploded with green biomass. Every single seedling has thrived, and...
- Garden Plans
Last evening I spent some time in my garden....dreaming. I took you with me.Could you tell?Ok, well, I didn't really take you along,but I did take my camera so that you would feel like you were there. The garden is sort of in a state of "pause" right...
- Garden Party
The really warm weather that we had last week may be gone for now, but signs of Spring still remain. This past weekend Hubbs and I finished moving oak bark mulch into the vegetable garden. (A big thanks to our adopted "son" Tim for moving...
- Looking Ahead
Yesterday we woke up to the first hard frost (yes, we've had snow, but not a frost like this). All of the critters' water buckets were frozen. I guess it is time to plug in all the heated buckets. The leaves have finally turned, so the countryside...
- There's Always Next Year!
Those four words have become my garden mantra. Each time I enter my vegetable garden I am overcome with the urge to just incinerate it. As I have called it before, it is my "Garden of Weedin".....with weeds outnumbering vegetables 100 to 1. Still, we...
Animals
Time Spent in a Garden
"Time spent in a garden
is not deducted from your lifespan."
I read this on a plaque
and suddenly it became crystal clear why
my Nana lived to be 102 years old.
I cannot remember a day spent with my grandmother,
that didn't involve at least a little time
spent in the garden.
So, if the saying holds true,
I should be in good shape
for a very long life!
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy
the time that I spend each day in my garden.
Unfortunately, that was not always the case.
Last year, for example, I called it my
"Garden of Weedin"
using many expletives that are not printable!
Enter the garden boxes...
and my garden suddenly became magical.
Interspersing flowers with the vegetables
has given this space a burst of color
and provided some insect control.
I use no chemicals in my garden,
other than good old fashioned elbow grease!
This past winter, I must admit, I had
some doubt about how gardening in boxes would turn out.
I can happily say, my fears were unfounded.
I have been able to harvest the same amount of vegetables
in much less space,
with almost no weeds.
Amazing!
(mega-sugar pea box)
I am a believer!
One of my fears involved all of the vining plants
and whether I would have adequate space for them -
or would they choke each other and everyone else out?
What I have learned is this....
Think outside the box!
Your large vines such as squashes and watermelons
need enough space for their roots.
The rest of the plant can vine itself right over the side of the box.
Cage your tomatoes and your cucumbers so that
they grow upward as tall as possible.
This allows for more plants in a smaller space.
Cucumbers, like tomatoes, don't understand boundaries.
They will vine themselves all over the place
sharing space like an overcrowded
tenement.
That's ok with me, as long as they keep making cukes.
And judging from all the flowers on the vines,
I should be able to open a pickle stand!
Lessons I have learned:
Onions have a sense of humor...
Pull tiny weeds everyday, and you stay ahead of the game.
Water, water, water (rain barrels help tremendously).
Bring a friend for company.
I always seem to have a few spare friends.
(Not to mention a few colorful friends!)
Don't be afraid to experiment!
I am not one to follow "rules", so my garden becomes my
very own kingdom, where I get to make the rules.
Take time to just sit in your garden.
You'll be amazed at the visitors you will have....
Thanks for visiting my garden...
you are welcome to sit here with me
anytime...at least for the next 50 years or so!
"Ye ole garden shed"....home to every garden tool known
to woman!
- 100% Chance Of Vegetables!
We're in the midst of a weather pattern that only a gardener could love! Daily storms have provided enough moisture to make watering unnecessary. The garden has literally exploded with green biomass. Every single seedling has thrived, and...
- Garden Plans
Last evening I spent some time in my garden....dreaming. I took you with me.Could you tell?Ok, well, I didn't really take you along,but I did take my camera so that you would feel like you were there. The garden is sort of in a state of "pause" right...
- Garden Party
The really warm weather that we had last week may be gone for now, but signs of Spring still remain. This past weekend Hubbs and I finished moving oak bark mulch into the vegetable garden. (A big thanks to our adopted "son" Tim for moving...
- Looking Ahead
Yesterday we woke up to the first hard frost (yes, we've had snow, but not a frost like this). All of the critters' water buckets were frozen. I guess it is time to plug in all the heated buckets. The leaves have finally turned, so the countryside...
- There's Always Next Year!
Those four words have become my garden mantra. Each time I enter my vegetable garden I am overcome with the urge to just incinerate it. As I have called it before, it is my "Garden of Weedin".....with weeds outnumbering vegetables 100 to 1. Still, we...