Garden Dreams......

Peace!

I got a TON of garden catalogs so far. This is the season for planning a garden so that is right and exact. I've made a few purchases this year already. I bought seed pellets. I plan to get some actual plastic flower pots to start seeds in since those are reusable. I'm not sure if I can buy new pellets for next year that fit in the old containers. I tried Styrofoam cups and that didn't work. Idk why... Pellets make things so much easier.... But I'm going to do a comparison this season. Half pellet, half pot.

I bought a light and a growing mat. I looked at the unit where all that stuff was together... BUT.... I'm thinking no. I got the same feeling when I looked at a long armed quilting machine. It be nice to have, but how could I justify the cost or the space?

This year I'm going to grow more plants in the ground rather than bales. My bales from last year still work, so I'm going to use them this year to plant my pole beans. Last year I didn't plant nearly enough I really enjoyed the beans I got to eat. But only I enjoyed them. There wasn't enough to share. I have space in the back (I know I said I wasn't going to garden back there anymore) to plant bush beans aka black eyed peas and corn. Right off the front porch, I'm planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and watermelon. Damn what my neighbors think. I was hoping to to permaculture it but even if it's unsightly... I don't care.

I'm also planning to grow a bunch of greens: collards, kale and calallo. I like and should eat more greens. I'm planning them in a moderately shady spot. I hope that works. I'm going to try my hand at strawberries too. I have a sunny spot ready!

I bought about $30 worth of seeds and have plans to buy more. So an additional garden goal for 2017 is to learn how to save seeds.

I actually drew out a garden plan. How about that for adulting! It's complete with companion planting of marigold and basil. Last year bugs got the good stuff and I was pissed. So I've decided that I'm not above chemicals. This is my last year planting and eating everything I grow. 2018, I plan to have excess to do some canning and preservation. I'm planning a fall garden as well. But that is a far dream away.

I'm not a Wiccan, but I find that their wheel of the year is VERY useful for planning out my garden schedule. They have a holiday coming up on Thursday. I'm planning to start my seeds that day. The sunniest room in my home is the living room. When I close it off with the heat on, it's also the warmest. I'll turn space heaters on if I have to. I don't have a lot of furniture in there now so it will be my greenhouse until another Wiccan holiday of Beltane comes and I set my plants out for the duration. Lughnasadh is another holiday that starts on August 1st. I'll sow seeds for my winter garden. Wiccans planned it all out for me. And I'm taking the best part.

I plan to live in my home for a long time. So I have time to perfect the landscape. The God likes smelly plants so I'm adding some gardenias and something orange in the front. I haven't figured what, but it has to have a fragrance. I personally LOVE hydrangeas so they are going to be planted as well. I want to add some azaleas, but I don't want the yard to look hap-hazard. I don't really like the white ones, but that's what I'll probably plant for consistency. I can always add color in front of them in future years. I'm planning some pink and orange roses in memory of my mother.

I really hope this summer isn't as hot as last summer. I timed everything wrong and screwed up a lot. The big difference between this year and last year, is this summer I will have a job and can afford this hobby in addition to my sewing addiction.

So this is me rattling on... But trust and believe that I'm excited! I need this right now.


Peace

Wrap Up

Peace!

I got my 1st new seed catalog in the mail yesterday and I was EXCITED!!!! All the plans I'm making and winter hasn't officially arrived. But it occurred to me that I never wrapped up my 2016 garden and share the lessons I learned...

Lesson #1:
Plant only the food that you are interested in eating. Among other things... I planted eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumbers. I don't like any of those things. I forced myself to eat it because I grew it. I might plant cucumber next summer, but I won't make that the star.

Lesson #2:
You really do have to start early. I put seeds in the ground around April. That was a mistake. I should have put plants in the ground in April. Which means I'm going to need to start seedlings in February. It gets really hot here in the summer and a lot of plants won't set fruit if it doesn't cool down enough in the evening. A lot of my tomato plants burnt out before they set fruit. When the last frost date passes, I need to hit the ground running. Getting those plants dead in the ground.

Lesson #3:
Full sun doesn't always mean full sun. I have a truly sunny spot in my front yard, and I put a full sun plant there.... The sun burned the hell out of that plant. Even with daily watering. So be mindful.... If the plant tells you it needs "full sun" in zones 4-8, if your in zone 8.... not so much.

Lesson #4:
This is a me thing... I'm kind of lazy... I set the garden really far from the house. I had to walk more than 100 feet to get to the garden. There was no spigot out there so I had to run several hoses out to the spot to water. I found that oppressive and began resenting the garden. I'm moving everything closer to the house for next year. An issue is.... there is a lot of space over in the 2016 garden spot that I won't be using. So what do I do with it?

Lesson #5:
My herb garden didn't do shit this year. I have had better success with growing herbs in a sunny window INSIDE the house. That soooooooooo pissed me off. It can be that they were in pots because my inside herbs were in pots. I watered (not over watered) I did everything right. BUT.... they floundered and really didn't grow much more than they came when I bought them. I'm leaving them outside to see what happens come next year. Maybe they will perk up. Maybe cold will be good for them.

Lesson #6:
This is very important.... Bale gardening does work! BUT... the fruit you get will be smaller. Before you try one, ask yourself if that's something you can live with. My suggestion is to do a combo of the 2. Like don't put the cardboard down so plants can grow into the dirt.


I had planned to do a winter garden, but lost interest. I have yet to clear the space. I know, lazy....


So my garden 2017 plans will include a lot of greens, beans, tomatoes and peppers. Maybe this is the year I try to grow potatoes! We eat a ton of those. And put them closer to the house.

So between now and then, my plan is to acquire the items I need to get my garden going.


Peace

Harvest

Seems chinchy for all that effort. But it's just getting started. I expect more in August and September. Also... Time to start thinking about fall...

1st Harvest

These 3 Thai beans are the 1st of my garden that's ready to eat. I have some bell peppers, but they are still green....

Summer

Peace.

I keep saying I'm a take some gardening pics. I forget my phone every day.

Things are looking good though, even though I had to cheat... I bought some plants... peppers, eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, collard greens and 1 green cucumber plant. My cucumbers are doing great, but I only planted yellow cucumbers. I thought I should have at least 1 green plant. And my own seed planted cucumbers are way bigger than the plant I bought.

Faye Lewis is right. I only need to water once a day and morning is best. It's just that morning requires my lazy ass to get up and go out there. Sigh..... It's been raining hard here. So I don't have to go every day. But it's summer. And just because the weather calls for rain doesn't mean it's going to rain in your backyard.

So that's it.. for now. I'm promising a pic post soon!!!!


Peace

Some things are growing....

Peace.

I know this garden is gonna be an ongoing process. Some of the seeds I planted are up and looking healthy. Some aren't. I planted the seeds about 2 weeks ago.

5/6 bean plants are growing and 4/6 cucumbers are growing. I'm not mad. The weather has been all over the place. Hot/cool... It dropped down to the 50's last week. I might add a store bought cuke plant. All I planted were lemon cucumbers. I don't really like cucumbers (the 7 does), but I think I'd like lemon ones. The God is funny about food so I should really plant something he'd recognize. I brought home a chayote and he won't touch it. And a home grown cucumber tastes COMPLETELY different than store bought ones.

The fleshy tomatoes have budded. I put in a store bought tomato plant for contrast. Since this is my 1st bale garden, idk if I've overloaded the bale. We shall see....

None of the cherry tomatoes are doing anything. 

The peppers look like they might be trying to come up. The fish peppers are starting to peek through. The chocolate bell peppers are doing nothing!!! Nothing at all! But since the fish peppers are slow,  I'm a wait And see if they come up for a few more weeks. If not, I have other seeds to plant like squash and eggplant.

I have a shady bale for collards kale and cabbage. In NJ, where I'm from, people grew cabbage, collards and kale in their backyards all summer long. It was one of the only things they could grow in the yard from seed. The growing season is short and Jersey doesn't get hot like that. But NJ is the garden state? Maybe just South Jersey

I planted more cherry tomatoes, lettuce and basil. According to the books, tomatoes should be started indoors and transplanted. That's not the way my aunt or grandmother grew them. They used seeds and still ate tomatoes. Using bales and miracle grow that is supposed to hold water should give them the advantage, right? Plus, Those bales are really moist inside.

I still have 2 bales that I have no idea what to plant in them. Plus.... I haven't planted my corn or carrots. Those have to go in the ground. I have a spot for them but just haven't gotten around to tilling the ground. It's pure laziness. I'm over there every day. Just not with a shovel. Now the plot is overgrown. Maybe I can get the God to aid me.

It's supposed to be hot in the next few days here in GA. I've decided to water twice a day: morning and evening. Unless it rains.

Peace

Planting

Peace!

I'm a bit late getting my post on. That's because I've been late getting my garden on. I guess gardening is not for the lazy... My aunt and grandmother both kept gardens. My aunt's garden was METICULOUS. All rows were nice and neat... Everything was perfect. My grandmother's garden was different all together. She would plant very haphazardly and there was a point where she would stop maintaining. She said that gardens are like children, you get them to a point then they are on their own. My aunt's garden didn't produce any more because it was tidy. My grandmother's didn't produce any less because it was messy. I'm somewhere in the middle.

I really should have planted a week ago... But life happened. I spent a week with my mother in SC. That was a delay... When I came back, I just didn't want to do it. But I have spent a lot of energy on this garden already and I wasn't ready to let it all go to shit. I planted 5/14/2016.

I got most of my seed from rareseeds.com. Most of what I planted are heirloom. I say most because I've had issues with them in the past. This is their last chance. If these seeds don't do well, I'm not ordering from them again. Especially since this bale business is supposed to be the shit. And those seeds are expensive! I guess they have to pay for that magazine they call a catalog...

I had originally planned for 15 bales, I bumped it down to 10. I think 10 is a lot. I don't have enough to fill all ten. Right now I planted 6. I'm headed off tot the store purchase some additional seeds.

Peace