Progress in the Garden

The garden is making progress. I think I have a small handle on the problem with the bell pepper plant and the tomatoes. I've started removing flowers, as I want the plants to establish better before producing. I've started fertilizing and boosting the nutrients, and I am finally seeing healthy leaves and growth happening again. This makes me so happy!! I was afraid I had messed up and that I had to plan again for that container.



I am so excited by the growth of the potatoes, also. I had so many good shoots of the black potatoes, I thought it might be wise to spread them out a bit, so I replanted 2 over with the lonely Yukon gold in the kidney shaped container. They didn't seem to mind the transplant, and I look forward to seeing them thrive with so much space. I'll be filling that in with dirt in about 3 weeks, and then I'll add one of the square potted tomato plants to the top half.





We have lots of seedlings now, Chives, onion, garlic, carrots, melon, mini pumpkins, and an unknown volunteer in the Hydrangea pot.










I am most impressed with the tomato plants that we planted first. Of the 3 we planted, 2 have been thriving, and both of those are bearing fruit. Of course, NOW I learn that I should probably have removed the flowers as well as the suckers all this time, as they are probably not mature enough yet. Once these few ripen up, I'll be keeping a closer eye on flowering for another 2-3 weeks. I'm boosting the soil, and today I added soil around the base of one to help it along.





Now, for the plant that does nothing for the garden, my Hens and Chickens. This poor plant has followed me, on the cusp of death for the last 14 years. It's been knocked over, uprooted, slept on by cats, over watered, under watered and totally forgotten out in the frosty nights. Well, When I started this years garden, I gave it a handful of dirt. I sprinkle it with water as I remember to water the garden. I gave it more dirt. It's been doing the most amazing thing!! Last night, I gave it a real pot, instead of the old metal mixing bowl. Here it is:





I must be having a good week, because my plants are looking pretty happy. =)

Why Does my Garden Grow?

Local park. I love the sun beams!

I've posted a lot about all the work I have done in my tiny little container garden. I've been trying to show regular progress on the garden, and keep adding more and more seed and containers to the fenced in section. I can't remember if I shared what blend of soils I used. I'll double check that and add it here later if I didn't. I'll make a separate post about that later.

What I haven't posted about is why I am doing this. 'Surely, the grocery store has vegetables and fruits, already grown and picked and ready for your table. Why would you do all this work, when you are already so busy?' someone had asked me. I drew a blank at first. I mean, why would they ask me that? Then it dawned on me. In this day and age, gardening and farming is becoming a thing of the past in my culture.

A garden in the yard was something grandma and grandpa had. A rare neighbor might grow something on the side of their yard, and it is more of a novelty, then common sense. We live in an age where anything we need can be shipped across the continent and be brought within 5 minutes of our homes. We don't see the cows that we get our milk from. We don't run through the corn fields, playing hide and seek. We don't know how to make sure the crops get pollinated when the bees don't come this year. We don't know the time to plant and the time to harvest by the feel of the seasons. We live apart from all of that, behind our tiny privacy fences and postage stamp yards. Some of us can barely keep the grass alive, let alone know what to do for the bald patches or the weeds.

In the age of Information, we have the ability to look things up. We can look things up on YouTube and SEE how to do any number of things. For some, just watching others do it, is enough. They "pin" things on their boards, and dream about all the exciting things they could do but there is no push to attempt getting it done. I know, if I spent 10 minutes on any 5 projects I have pinned, my house would have a face lift!

I am gardening for several reasons. This economy is tough. We have had some cuts to our income, and our budget is very tight. By planting and growing veggies, I am hoping to reduce our food costs by 1/3. When this batch is harvested, I will plant for the fall and winter. I am very blessed to live in a year round gardening climate. I want my children to understand where their food comes from, that it doesn't magically arrive in the stores, and that what we do to the land around the plants affects the fruit that they produce. (Yes, science happens outside too - we have separate plants for that project) I want to teach my family some of the benefits of working with plants. Nothing is instantaneous. There is no instant gratification in tending the garden. Everything keeps growing back. Diligence keeps the weed back. Water evaporates, and has to be done more than once a day, routine keeps it watered. Turning the soil, moving the pots for best sun, cutting the grass inside the fence is all hard work that needs done often, and hard work builds strong character. Perseverance at Patience are slowly learned while you keep following the routines with diligence, while you are waiting for those green strawberries to turn the best shade of ruby red or when you think that NOTHING is happening, and that all your seeds are duds (as unlikely as that could be).

Gardening is peaceful to me. I enjoy wandering around and looking at all of the tiny changes that have happened overnight. I love soaking the soil each day, making sure that the morning watering is deep and plenty. I peer down close at each plant, checking for bugs and damage, and looking for new sprouts in the areas that I've squeezed in just a few more seeds. I bring my camera with me, in case there is a great shot I need to share, or to snap progression photos for the blog. Early in the morning, I can watch the birds flit through the yard, chasing each other and gathering various materials for their nests. Sometimes, it seems as if it is my peaceful moment in my day, before the hubbub of the children gets started, before the battles of wills start, before the various ways 6 children can say the same word 25-50 times in the day. It is a place to recharge my weary spirit in the mid day, checking the plants, watering them again, and praying for things that are weighing on my mind.

It doesn't matter WHY I am gardening, I realize. All that matters is that I am enjoying it. That's what I told that someone, too. "I enjoy the work. A few moments here and there will make for a wonderful salad later."

Have a great day!

Oh, How my Garden Grows!

The garden is filling in nicely! The area inside the fence needs more space, I am almost out of big containers, I am out of soil, but I have seeds aplenty!! Early this morning I got up and watered the garden to see how it was doing. I had to make sure that the critter hadn't snuck into the fences again and destroyed yesterdays hard work. So far, so good.

Yesterday I picked up 2 tomato plants and a lemon cucumber plant and got them into the garden. I used one to replace the ruined Beefsteak Tomato plant in LadyBug's area, as hers had gotten topped and it simply stopped growing. I extended the upper deck on the black planter, and planted her tomato plant DEEP. I will be putting Garlic Chives on either side of the new upper section, and adding some more Strawberry roots to her section too.







Each of my big girls has assumed possession of the blue pool containers. The 10 year old has 2 tomato plants, the Lemon Cucumber, 3 Strawberry, 3 pot Marigold, 2 hot pepper plants and hundreds of tiny carrot plants starting to peek up. She is excited about the tomatoes that she can see growing, but is disappointed in her personal strawberry harvest. She has a few ripening though.











Miss 13 has a plan for her garden space, and is about 1/2 way done with stage 1. We have a few more things to plant on the edges, but I think those are part of stage 2. She is doing a Native American "3 sisters" mound, with decorative edging. We have the corn laid out and coming up, and ones it is a little taller, we will start planting the bean seeds in between the corn. The squash type items will hang over the sides. We had to plant the pumpkin twice, so we planted twice as much this time, hoping that something will survive. We cover the pumpkin shoots up at night, so that the critter can't find them. So far, it's working. She also has 2 hot Pepper Plants, 3 Strawberry, and 3 pot Marigold.











The other plants I've posted about before have grown. I'll just add in a slew of updated pictures, and you can see for yourself the growth :D

















The lone potato that has survived the drowning, the critter twice, and a few dig-ups to check on it.



If you know what's going on with the bell pepper plant, I'd appreciate some feedback. It's not looking too healthy!



So that leaves what's new. I have 6 see buckets started. Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cucumbers, Mini Pumpkins, Carrots (Wild Boy wanted his own buckets, so the garlic chives had to find another plan), and green onions. OH! And the Basil that is in the silver pot in the pea bed.





I can't forget the automatic fertilizer maker (Oreo) and 1/2 of the grounds security team (Willie). Willie patrols the yard vigilantly for invaders. Strange boys, cats, rats and squirrels he will chase out, we know this for sure!!

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

It's hard to be grouchy when you open your eyes in the morning to this little face in the morning. This is a self portrait of my middle daughter, Ladybugz. She is now 6 years old and she is usually the first child up most mornings. We keep trying to convince her that she doesn't need to wake us up to turn on the TV or to help herself to a fruit or oatmeal when she wakes up at sunrise. Her bright sparkling eyes are dancing with mirth in this shot; I love this shot of her.

Shhhhh

My hunny is so wonderful! He took the older 4 children to the store with him, and I was able to sneak in an undisturbed shower while the baby watched TV and woke up. I had a BIG long post planned... But I am going to relax in the quiet house before it gets bustling with activity again. Good night.