gardening oopses

We have a community garden at church- the harvest is for food banks and soup kitchens. This is its first year and its reception has been mixed. For most its a great idea and something to look at with joy, its the labor part that is the hard part. Sweat, dirt and manual labor... not so fun- or so most think.

Sunday we dressed in work clothes and helped to harvest squash and beans before worshipping in air conditioned comfort. I think our worship actually began out in the field as I battled prickly leaves and found prize after prize hidden under leaves of green. The harvest of squash was 3 laundry baskets full. The beans another and then some turnip greens as well.

It is a learning process for all who participate. Some come willingly, others drafted as they hang out on the fringes. This weekend one young man was called in to help... he manned up and came, his partner feared dirt and skooted off. For the one who joined us there was conversation and sharing of wisdom and life experience by men who have been in the military. He has plans of entering soon, has hopes of what will be. The guys encouraged, invited him to share life and gave counsel as he negotiates his contract. Nice, life as it should be.... all while serving the unknown needy.

In the spring I started plants on the backporch- some for me, some for God's garden. The tomatoes we planted we were later told that they had failed. It seems that rather they took a breathe and paused, but once given regular water they have blossomed and bloomed. The cages were falling over the growth is so lush. I spent time staking them up and rejoicing in the size. I did the difficult thing- I pruned. Pruning is so often avoided yet so necessary for greater growth. so all the side shoots, the wandering low lying branches were brought up or taken away for the good of the future. shock to us at first yet for future bounty important.

Just as in life- we often need to prune somethng to allow for other things. We need to cut off or restrict so that there can be bounty and blessing and energy given to another area of our life. A hard choice, yet necessary for the good of the future and preservation of sanity.

As we wandered among the plants we came upon two plants that were a bit dfferent- tomatillos. Ground cherries... they have a covering of papery skin, green in color and used in green salsa. A new seed tried, one I had not found sucessful at home... or pulled up thinking it was a weed- ouch! I bought another packet of seeds yesterday and planted a few last night. I am now clued in to the look of the seed and the volumne of produce one plant can bring forth... am excited that by the end of sept I might have tomatillos in my garden. oops... some weeds are not weeds.

I also finally looked up violets- they are abundant here in the yard and if i move them from the clay soil to nice soil they explode in size. I had heard that they were edible, and so they are. while researching i also learned what lambs quarter looks like- free spinach is what it is.... often pulled as a weed now i will know it to be a veggie to be enjoyed. ahh gardening and yard groceries, i do love this season of life.

tomatoes are on the vine, just waiting for the change of color. green beans need picking again. squash are developing, looks like some pumpkins for pie are in the making and I am anxiously waiting for the HUGE blue hubbard squash vine to bring forth some fruit- soon me thinks.

Best laid plans

So I began this blog to follow the garden and be organized.... I should have known better, I am not that organized in reality. The garden is in, some harvested and done, others beginning to be attacked by critters. There is at least one happy toad hopping about getting fat- yeah!

Tonight was the beginning of our living from the garden. I have gone out and snacked upon asparagus, strawberries and a few peas. Tonight I picked over 1cup of blueberries and a large handful of greens. The greens were were turned into a fratata ?? it had egg, cheese and was yummy, kind of a crustless quiche and super quick and easy.I see many more of them ahead of us.the berries we snacked upon and I will turn the remaining into pancakes or muffins in the am.

The greenbean plants are flowering, beets are beginning to become beet greens, I am seeing hte start of swiss chard and the lettuce is screaming "pick me!!!" I spied the first tomato tonight and the basil which I love the fragrance of was part of my green bouquet that contributed to dinner. Ahh the luxury of a garden. I so long to peek and see how the potato plants are growing as the tops are so large and fertile, yet I delay knowing time will only increase size and productivity.

Tomorrow it will be spray day- insecticidal soap for most and a once over for the weeds. Then on down the street to have fun in the neighbors garden as she is not able to bend to evict the pesky weeds that irritate her so.

Spring is heavy upon us and I delight at the thought of it all and all yet to come to us from the abundance of plants around us.

Gardening has begun

I continue to work away at preparing for spring. The peas planted a few weeks ago have begun to come up. The lettuce, onions and brocoli are growing well. The other boxes are slowly getting cleaned out- almost done. The compost pile is heaping with leaves and weeds mixed together and ready to turn into dirt. The other compost awaits distribution to the plants and beds.

This weekend we had all the tree stumps created in the past 4 years ground into sawdust/chips. I started to move the "mulch" around yesterday. The pine tree mulch now surrounds the raised beds to help keep weeds down. The hardwoods will be used in the flower beds.

Yesterday more asparagus roots were added to the asparagus bed- another deposit in long time living here so that we can enjoy the bounty of the harvests ahead. There is nothing like the taste of fresh raw aspagus picked in the garden. I look forward to the taste already.

The blueberries are blossoming, looking forward to a few berries fresh from the bush and more to come inside. For a few years I wondered at the placement of the bushes, as there had been no harvest, but last year I was surprised to find a few lush berries and realize that the drought had kept back the fruit. Looks like we may be blessed this year!

Another bin for potatoes has been found, and slowly the boxes and bins for potatoes have taken shape. Cedar planks claimed from a roadside toss now box in the asparagus bed and leave room for a potato bed nearby as well. It looks like the 10 lbs of taters will find room to grow this year. Slowly it is all taking shape.

Last winter days thoughts

Today is the last day of winter- at least in my mind as 21 March is the first day of spring, the day my daughter was born. It may change over the years from 20 to 21 March to suit the calendar, for me it is always on her day. Much work was done in and around the garden in the past few days.

Spring weather seems to be on its way. I have started my seeds on the back porch- a sun room kind of space that I am finding to be more and more wonderful to have changed from just screened porch. i am hopeful that soon little sprouts will be up and ready to push forth.

I have added a 9 pack of butter crunch lettuce to the onion bed today- thoughts of fresh salad greens came as I saw them at the feed and seed. I have also divided up a Heirloom tomato 9 pack, each now has space to spread its roots and limbs as it preps for warmer soil and weather in the days ahead.

More beds are being cleaned up, with all the weeds heading for the compost bin. I have decided to empty the completed compost into the various gardens, so we can start fresh this year with new piles to heat up. Yummy delights for the plants in the days ahead.

I have also plotted out the shapes of my raised beds onto a Word document so i can track what I plant each year and assure that I don't make bad 'bed fellows" with "enemy" plants. so far so good, but any extra boost all the better. I was able to remember back two years and now I will plan forward as I prep for the crops ahead.

I scored a new potato bin off the side of the road yesterday. Toy box becomes tater box- the tater boxes are now lined up - three in a row ready for me to sprout and split the 10 lbs of taters that will begin this years crop. I also scored a wooden attic ladder that will be the base of a few "boxes" for another few plants. Not sure if it will be for taters or something else but a few more squares of dirt will be happy to grow a few more plants.

Why Raised Beds????

Why use a raised bed system to plant when there is earth available??? Many are the reasons and whyfors.. some technical and scientific. Mine are fairly simple...

• Several years ago when we landed in the land of red clay dirt I was told that it would take at least 3 years to get a good crop of tomatoes out of the ground. I never know how long I will live in a location, I might not have 3 years to improve the soil. I stumbled upon Mel Bartholemew's book Square Foot Gardening and found the answer to my delema.
• I dont rototill well. I have tendonitits and shoulder problems at times, so heavy lifting and jarring can be an issue. Also I am cheap- I dont want to rent or hire it out each year so I can have dirt to plant in.
• Cotton gin trash compost is easily available and at $20 a truckload a great base for raised beds.
• It makes sense to go up and keep boxes of dirt where the earth is not compacted and the weeding is limited.
  
• I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that I can sit on the edge of the bed and with one hand prep the soil in early March and plant seed after mixing in some compost/manure and quickly gardening season has begun again.
  
• The harvest has been good and the work limited, not alot of extra time spent weeding and working the earth. Compact intensive growing has worked. I have raised tomatoes from the first season and the crops keep coming.
  

Rain, glorious rain

I awoke this morning to the patter of rain, and it continues. I can imagine the seeds soaking in the moisture, shoots starting to awaken with life, roots that have been moved stretching out and finding home anew. Oh the joy of spring rain nourishing the earth and beginning the start of a new season of growth. I think it is the antiicipation of what may lie ahead that makes spring planting so fun... one never knows what a season will bring.

Last year, less tomatoes and few summer squashes came with all the rain that followed a year of semi drought. This year??? I know that the bug man likes green peppers so a few extra plants will go in the dirt for him. Sharing life through gardening- yellow squash for elderly neighbors, tomatoes to bless and share as they come in. the blessing of abundance and sharing with any who your life intersects with... all of it a joy.

Today may be a good day to plot the master garden plan- so that i can track the planting from year to year and not plant crops that will sabotage one another. it will not be a day for alot of outside time, rather one to enjoy the warmth and comfort of the inside with blinds wide open to catch any sun that is available.

Off ot dream of dirt

boxes of dirt

Today I was in the garden again, surveying and realizing how much work there is to get things in order again. Last fall I must not have been with it as so much has been left to trim, pull and clean up. But that is the joy of spring...energy and fresh air to enjoy after a winter inside.

Today I - planted our first peas and spinach after taking compost from the compost bin and mixing it into the beds. Weeds pulled with plans to move back one of the grids to a back position for future tomatoes or other climbing veggies.

I plotted the garden on paper- time to start tracking crops a bit better than in the past.

Last week- planted broccoli starters, pulled up leftover onions, divided and planted onion starters along with shallots and green onions- 2 beds of onions at present. Also started t o divide up the strawberry plants- 18 moved from full bed into new bed and many more yet to be thinned out so we have room to grow this year. time to make a new strawberry bed for planting- I think it will be over in the fruit garden - the first step of moving strawberries off the concrete pad.

life is calling, so time to get back to inside living, though the dirt has such appeal.