As a way to save water dollars, we've begun to collect the cold water that would otherwise run down the drain when we shower or bathe, into a pail, which I use for watering the garden by hand.
I made a free watering can from a half-gallon milk carton. I used one from Promised Land dairies, because we had some and they have the nice molded hand-holds on the back of the carton. I nail-punched a circle of holes, with a center one, as well, in the screw-on cap and cut a small slit at the top of the back for air exchange.
It works quite well, for what it is.
To improve, I would use a smaller nail and more holes in the cap and make the air exchange slit much smaller, as well.
When we use up the current milk carton, I'll try that out. I need several, as all the kids will want one.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Work Days- March 31
Every day has seen a little work: crops planted, paths mulched, construction done.
Mentally slapping my hand whenever I consider putting my hot crops into the ground before Easter Monday. The wait is my response to climate change.
So:
Construction:
All trellises are up.
Back fence corner is weeded and had its landscape timber moved in.
V. braced the stairstep planter and we cleared out beneath it, laid down weedblock and mulch.
He put up my wrought-iron hanger by the shrine, and another smaller one on the long post of the stair-step.
Added more items to the passive heap and more leaves to the leafmold holder.
We tied back the althea with nylon rope to make space. If they break, look out!
Filled the kid's sand box. Great success with Bubs- he played in it alone for over tweny minutes.
More path areas mulched. Using grass, rather than leaves. It is so windy here that leaves move around too much, blowing into the beds on top of sprouting seeds,onto the porch and so on.
Crops:
Planted nasturtiums, finally. May have planted other vines too early, may replant.
Annuals are up in S-S planter.
All crops are sprouting in kids' gardens. Will plant hot crops for them with mine.
Fed all T/Ps with fish tea. We will see.
Tomatoes: Container T tooking very poor. Bed T not much better. T-bag T looks GREAT! So far, at least. Will continue to observe.
To Do:
Plant hot crops
Finalize charts of plantings.
Re-plant MGs?
Make up watering schedule and print out.
Turn compost heap, and set up schedule for that.
Start lettuce t/p's
Harvested: romaine, lettuce.
Mentally slapping my hand whenever I consider putting my hot crops into the ground before Easter Monday. The wait is my response to climate change.
So:
Construction:
All trellises are up.
Back fence corner is weeded and had its landscape timber moved in.
V. braced the stairstep planter and we cleared out beneath it, laid down weedblock and mulch.
He put up my wrought-iron hanger by the shrine, and another smaller one on the long post of the stair-step.
Added more items to the passive heap and more leaves to the leafmold holder.
We tied back the althea with nylon rope to make space. If they break, look out!
Filled the kid's sand box. Great success with Bubs- he played in it alone for over tweny minutes.
More path areas mulched. Using grass, rather than leaves. It is so windy here that leaves move around too much, blowing into the beds on top of sprouting seeds,onto the porch and so on.
Crops:
Planted nasturtiums, finally. May have planted other vines too early, may replant.
Annuals are up in S-S planter.
All crops are sprouting in kids' gardens. Will plant hot crops for them with mine.
Fed all T/Ps with fish tea. We will see.
Tomatoes: Container T tooking very poor. Bed T not much better. T-bag T looks GREAT! So far, at least. Will continue to observe.
To Do:
Plant hot crops
Finalize charts of plantings.
Re-plant MGs?
Make up watering schedule and print out.
Turn compost heap, and set up schedule for that.
Start lettuce t/p's
Harvested: romaine, lettuce.
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 22, Monday
Got a little side-tracked over the weekend by the SNOW! 1 1/2" Saturday evening. It had melted by Sunday afternoon and I had managed to cover most of the crops with drop-cloths or leaves or flowerpots, so it was a minor blip. Even the uncovered peas look fine.
BUT- considering that last year's spring was almost as cool and wet, it might be a good idea to push back all warm/hot weather crop planting dates by a week or two.
Finished weeding the paths.
Weeded under the bench and put down fresh weed-block.
Weeded all back beds.
T/P bell pepper (green), eggplant and basil
Finished trellisses for driveway fence.
Painted iron pyramid and plant hanger, black.
Constructed and planted potato tower (with help from O). See separate post.
To-do:
Finish raking side beds.
Add 2 bags leaves to leaf corral
Attach trellises
Fill containers with dirt for potato tower build-up
Plant: cucumber, corn, radishes, sunflowers, zinnias, nasturtiums
T/P: cilantro
Plant blessed wheat in all bed corners
Cannot express what a welcome diversion working in the garden was today, after the politcal horrors of yesterday. The meditation of weeding, planting, and puttering is so calming and satisfying- such a positive action in the face of so much discouragement and negativity.
BUT- considering that last year's spring was almost as cool and wet, it might be a good idea to push back all warm/hot weather crop planting dates by a week or two.
Finished weeding the paths.
Weeded under the bench and put down fresh weed-block.
Weeded all back beds.
T/P bell pepper (green), eggplant and basil
Finished trellisses for driveway fence.
Painted iron pyramid and plant hanger, black.
Constructed and planted potato tower (with help from O). See separate post.
To-do:
Finish raking side beds.
Add 2 bags leaves to leaf corral
Attach trellises
Fill containers with dirt for potato tower build-up
Plant: cucumber, corn, radishes, sunflowers, zinnias, nasturtiums
T/P: cilantro
Plant blessed wheat in all bed corners
Cannot express what a welcome diversion working in the garden was today, after the politcal horrors of yesterday. The meditation of weeding, planting, and puttering is so calming and satisfying- such a positive action in the face of so much discouragement and negativity.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Garden Kids
Decided this year to give 4 ft. plots in one of the beds to O and Bubs. I used that cheap wire bed edging to fence them off.
O and I sat down with the seed packets and once she understood that she could only pick FOUR, she thought it out carefully and chose sunflowers, cucumbers, mini-zinnias and cosmos. Her one request was for "pink, orange, red and yellow flowers". Liliput zinnias- the perfect solution. I gave her the tiny redwood trellis for her cukes and we had the lesson about waiting to plant things at the right time.
We selected corn, pole beans, marigolds and radishes for Bubs. He won't actually eat a radish, but they grow so fast and are fun to pick. Speedy results matter, when you're not quite four. I think he will get a kick out of the bean teepee, as well. He's happy, as long as he can dig in the dirt.
He helped me plant everything but the beans today.
I'd like to get Sissy to help me make little signs for their plots that we can put on stakes.
I'll have to keep an eagle eye on these, though I intend to let them do as much work as is practical.
And of course, they'll be helping me in the rest of the garden, as well.
O and I sat down with the seed packets and once she understood that she could only pick FOUR, she thought it out carefully and chose sunflowers, cucumbers, mini-zinnias and cosmos. Her one request was for "pink, orange, red and yellow flowers". Liliput zinnias- the perfect solution. I gave her the tiny redwood trellis for her cukes and we had the lesson about waiting to plant things at the right time.
We selected corn, pole beans, marigolds and radishes for Bubs. He won't actually eat a radish, but they grow so fast and are fun to pick. Speedy results matter, when you're not quite four. I think he will get a kick out of the bean teepee, as well. He's happy, as long as he can dig in the dirt.
He helped me plant everything but the beans today.
I'd like to get Sissy to help me make little signs for their plots that we can put on stakes.
I'll have to keep an eagle eye on these, though I intend to let them do as much work as is practical.
And of course, they'll be helping me in the rest of the garden, as well.
March 16, 2010
Week in review:
Made beds for side yard and filled with purchased topsoil and humus.
T/P strawberry plants
Collected 10 bags of leaves and 3 bags of grass this morning and used some of them and the old side yard open-ended bed to frame and fill a new passive compost heap.
Taped up the top of the green bin and will use it for kitchen scrap compost.
Turned active pile today.
Filled planters for the stair step: purple zinnias, big marigolds and Liliput zinnias. Fourth planter is chives, a golden thyme and a herb to be chosen.
Constructed and planted a Tomato Bag with a Sweet 100.
Weeded paths, put down newspaper, garden bags and the last of the weed block in bare areas and covered with new leaves. What I found when weeding is that the leaves/grass on the paths get trodden into great leaf mold. The new plan: rake cover off paths twice a year and sift for leaf mold. NB: BUILD OR BUY SIFTER.
Lost the weeder somewhere in the new leaf cover, but it will turn up.
Put in nails for twine trellises. Cut boards for green mesh trellises for driveway fence.
De-cluttered porch, swept and sprayed.
NB: DO NOT START T/P's IN POTTING SOIL WITH FOOD. The seedlings are VERY spindly.
Use Jiffy, not Miracle Grow. It was like feeding steroids to Morgan Jane.
Bought a load of dirt at Strong's and will use it to fill in yard and top off beds.
Hot weather vegs are supposed to go in on the 23 rd, but may wait a week. It is still quite cool and damp. Global warming, my foot. It was like this last year, too.
Peas are up.
To-Do:
Plant corn, radishes, lettuce, mesclun, morning glory, moonflower, sweet peas, nasturtiums and other annual flowers.
Finish and hang mesh trellises.
String twine trellises.
Have Ves figure out a yields chart on MSWorks.
Made beds for side yard and filled with purchased topsoil and humus.
T/P strawberry plants
Collected 10 bags of leaves and 3 bags of grass this morning and used some of them and the old side yard open-ended bed to frame and fill a new passive compost heap.
Taped up the top of the green bin and will use it for kitchen scrap compost.
Turned active pile today.
Filled planters for the stair step: purple zinnias, big marigolds and Liliput zinnias. Fourth planter is chives, a golden thyme and a herb to be chosen.
Constructed and planted a Tomato Bag with a Sweet 100.
Weeded paths, put down newspaper, garden bags and the last of the weed block in bare areas and covered with new leaves. What I found when weeding is that the leaves/grass on the paths get trodden into great leaf mold. The new plan: rake cover off paths twice a year and sift for leaf mold. NB: BUILD OR BUY SIFTER.
Lost the weeder somewhere in the new leaf cover, but it will turn up.
Put in nails for twine trellises. Cut boards for green mesh trellises for driveway fence.
De-cluttered porch, swept and sprayed.
NB: DO NOT START T/P's IN POTTING SOIL WITH FOOD. The seedlings are VERY spindly.
Use Jiffy, not Miracle Grow. It was like feeding steroids to Morgan Jane.
Bought a load of dirt at Strong's and will use it to fill in yard and top off beds.
Hot weather vegs are supposed to go in on the 23 rd, but may wait a week. It is still quite cool and damp. Global warming, my foot. It was like this last year, too.
Peas are up.
To-Do:
Plant corn, radishes, lettuce, mesclun, morning glory, moonflower, sweet peas, nasturtiums and other annual flowers.
Finish and hang mesh trellises.
String twine trellises.
Have Ves figure out a yields chart on MSWorks.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday, March 8
Saturday was spent bagging up trimmings and pulling weeds in the side yard beds, which will be called 5 and 6.
Sunday was a rainy day, all day.
Today, I bought the lumber and hardware for the new beds. Since they will be against the house wall, they will need step-stones in the middles. I'm debating what to plant there b/c they are only accessible from three sides.
Garden plans are next on the agenda, while it's too wet to work.
Seedlings are popping up like crazy in the mini-g-h, at least from this year's seeds. Lesson learned: throw the old ones out. But we'll give them a while longer yet.
Sunday was a rainy day, all day.
Today, I bought the lumber and hardware for the new beds. Since they will be against the house wall, they will need step-stones in the middles. I'm debating what to plant there b/c they are only accessible from three sides.
Garden plans are next on the agenda, while it's too wet to work.
Seedlings are popping up like crazy in the mini-g-h, at least from this year's seeds. Lesson learned: throw the old ones out. But we'll give them a while longer yet.
The Urban Farm
magazine which I picked up at the Lowe's is quite good. It includes the most basic of gardening primers: last issue featured John Jeavons, this issue has Mel Bartholomew, as well as articles on livestock and energy and water conservation.
The letters were very interesting: one reader was incensed that not enough attention was being paid to global warming (0bviously this issue went to press before Climategate). Another was a very well-reasoned plea for more realistic articles on urban livestock from an experienced farmer, who fears that this will be a fad and result in lots of abandoned, or worse, chickens and mini-goats.
I was very impressed with the overall tone, which I thought was quite balanced. I intend to buy the first issue as a download, and continue to pick it up as new issues are published. It is not yet available for subscription.
The letters were very interesting: one reader was incensed that not enough attention was being paid to global warming (0bviously this issue went to press before Climategate). Another was a very well-reasoned plea for more realistic articles on urban livestock from an experienced farmer, who fears that this will be a fad and result in lots of abandoned, or worse, chickens and mini-goats.
I was very impressed with the overall tone, which I thought was quite balanced. I intend to buy the first issue as a download, and continue to pick it up as new issues are published. It is not yet available for subscription.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5
Took Morgan Jane to Lowe's to pick up more trellis supports: she was not impressed with sitting in the cart while I looked for 1/2" elbow connectors. Found a new publication there: The Urban Farmer and bought a copy to try out, as well as radish seeds and a Patio tomato.
Sis's neighbor had grass in wonderful thick black plastic bags, but I was only able to pick up one.
Also went to Big Lots to price soil and bought a hose that's supposed to spring back into its space-saving shape, but doesn't, really. Hey, it was Big Lots. But they also had the Tomato Bag, which I would like to try. I might be able to construct one- they look very simple. The question would be where to hang it.
Today:
Constructed and set up new trellis. Had to use green plastic mesh as the nylon mesh has disappeared. I'm pretty sure I still had some but can't find it. I did discover that I have three balls of binder twine- it's like tomato paste.
Moved the buddleia planter to the end of Bed 4.
Moved the stair-steps to end of Bed 2, but will move them back if V. objects.
Planted the Patio tomato in the new green plastic tub and put it next to the buddleia.
Layered and watered the compost heap
To Do:
Finish modifications on plastic planters
Buy peat moss, compost, perlite
Construct grids
Work out plan for side yard
String twine trellises for morning glories, moonflowers, nasturtiums
Finish plans for Beds
Put a brace on the stair-steps and paint
Research Tomato Bag
Seeds have sprouted in mini g-h, that's fast!
Sis's neighbor had grass in wonderful thick black plastic bags, but I was only able to pick up one.
Also went to Big Lots to price soil and bought a hose that's supposed to spring back into its space-saving shape, but doesn't, really. Hey, it was Big Lots. But they also had the Tomato Bag, which I would like to try. I might be able to construct one- they look very simple. The question would be where to hang it.
Today:
Constructed and set up new trellis. Had to use green plastic mesh as the nylon mesh has disappeared. I'm pretty sure I still had some but can't find it. I did discover that I have three balls of binder twine- it's like tomato paste.
Moved the buddleia planter to the end of Bed 4.
Moved the stair-steps to end of Bed 2, but will move them back if V. objects.
Planted the Patio tomato in the new green plastic tub and put it next to the buddleia.
Layered and watered the compost heap
To Do:
Finish modifications on plastic planters
Buy peat moss, compost, perlite
Construct grids
Work out plan for side yard
String twine trellises for morning glories, moonflowers, nasturtiums
Finish plans for Beds
Put a brace on the stair-steps and paint
Research Tomato Bag
Seeds have sprouted in mini g-h, that's fast!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 3
And we're back.
Planted so far in Bed 1: lettuce, beets, romaine seedlings, onions and brocolli transplants.
Actually, planted most of that five weeks ago at the end of January and covered the 4x4 section with a plastic drop cloth over bent 1/2" PVC, per Mel's SFG plan. This worked very well, even in out unseasonable snow.
Compost heaps are building. One is the working heap, one is the kitchen waste heap. Took out the bin composter: didn't work well enough for the space it took up. Will probably store bags of soil, peat, etc. in it in the garage. Leaf mold container is up and being filled.
NO hanging plants this year. They are too labor/water intensive for Texas.
Will try containers again on the step-holder. This year will provide better drainage.
Inspected the Garden Box planter at Calloway's but at $70.00 per box, that is too pricey.
As an experiment, I'm drilling some extra-large holes for run-off in the bottom of one of my long plastic planters. Then, I'm drilling holes in some plastic take-out containers, cutting down the sides and placing them upside down in the bottom of the planter, to provide some air space for the roots. This seems to be a key element of the Garden Box. I will see how it works in a mini-me version.
Also experimenting with take-out containers as tiny greenhouses for seedlings, as well as a commercial one from Lowe's. Planted: lettuce, leaf lettuce, squash, cosmos and zinnias.
One goal is to plant pollinator attractors on all three sides of the vegetable beds in the two fence beds and the stair steps.
To do: make new grids.
Make new pipe trellis.
Transplanted: Oregano, rosemary, dill, lemon thyme, German thyme along back fence.
Planted: peas (3), strawberries (2)
Planted so far in Bed 1: lettuce, beets, romaine seedlings, onions and brocolli transplants.
Actually, planted most of that five weeks ago at the end of January and covered the 4x4 section with a plastic drop cloth over bent 1/2" PVC, per Mel's SFG plan. This worked very well, even in out unseasonable snow.
Compost heaps are building. One is the working heap, one is the kitchen waste heap. Took out the bin composter: didn't work well enough for the space it took up. Will probably store bags of soil, peat, etc. in it in the garage. Leaf mold container is up and being filled.
NO hanging plants this year. They are too labor/water intensive for Texas.
Will try containers again on the step-holder. This year will provide better drainage.
Inspected the Garden Box planter at Calloway's but at $70.00 per box, that is too pricey.
As an experiment, I'm drilling some extra-large holes for run-off in the bottom of one of my long plastic planters. Then, I'm drilling holes in some plastic take-out containers, cutting down the sides and placing them upside down in the bottom of the planter, to provide some air space for the roots. This seems to be a key element of the Garden Box. I will see how it works in a mini-me version.
Also experimenting with take-out containers as tiny greenhouses for seedlings, as well as a commercial one from Lowe's. Planted: lettuce, leaf lettuce, squash, cosmos and zinnias.
One goal is to plant pollinator attractors on all three sides of the vegetable beds in the two fence beds and the stair steps.
To do: make new grids.
Make new pipe trellis.
Transplanted: Oregano, rosemary, dill, lemon thyme, German thyme along back fence.
Planted: peas (3), strawberries (2)
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