Planted at last
05/24/2023
When I first retired from the Guard, I looked with bewilderment and joy at all the free time I was going to have. One of the projects I helped would fill those empty hours was a garden, a right proper one with rows and things.
Well, between watching the grandkids (which is a joy) and erratic weather, I'm three full weeks behind schedule, but at last the seeds are in the ground. What comes up is anyone's guess.
I don't think I'm cut out to be a gardener, but I do enjoy seeing the plants come up. Since this year I'm doing short-term crops (green onions, peas, carrots), if something doesn't work, I can just prep for the late harvest or even look at fall through winter plantings.
My gardening side-quests are also continuing, but I've made a lot of progress over the last two weeks. The garage side door had been almost entirely blocked for years. Now it's open for business. The process of planting allowed me to clear out all the accumulated potting soil. As summer unfolds, I'm looking forward to further reorganization in a more deliberate manner, and also ways to refine the garden area itself. It is entirely fenced in, and it would not take a great deal of imagination to turn that into a hoop house should the desire take me.
All of which is to say: there are lots of possibilities, and I'm looking forward to exploring them. My first goal is accomplished, and I'm going to celebrate that just a little.
This year I put in more currant plants, and a damson plum tree. I do a lot of greens and tomatoes too. It's satisfying and nice to feel capable. I'll put in some potatoes, soon. I've never been successful with onion seeds. Good luck
Posted by: CN | 05/25/2023 at 08:29 PM
The virtue of using short-growth crops is that if nothing comes up in a week, I can try something different. This gardening attempt is unique in that I intend it to be a constant thing going forward, so fertilizer, covering it for winter and all those things that "real" gardeners do will be put in place.
I've had reasonable luck with things coming up, the problem has been animals eating them before they reach maturity. That's why I've spent so much effort on fortifying the place.
Posted by: A.H. Lloyd | 05/27/2023 at 08:41 AM