I took Friday off from my regular job because 1.) I have 11,000–or some other ridiculous number of vacation days– that it is unlikely I will use… and even more unlikely that I will use for actual vacation, 2.) I didn’t feel I was putting in as much time at the Memorial house as I should this time of year, and 3.) Let’s just call it a “sanity check,” and leave it at that.
What that mean was an extra long weekend for all sorts of fun activities, starting with building another garden box. Which brings me to my first mystery of this week… wood that seeps not insignificant amounts of water when you drill into it.
I mean, I know why it happens… but I’ve never actually seen that much fluid come out of wood before.
Once the second box was done, set, and filled (thanks to a guy I know and his tractor) it was time for the extra fun stuff. Planting!
It was too late to start seeds for most veggies this year, despite my best intentions, so I bought my body weight in seedlings instead.
That’s tomatoes (Beefsteak, Mountain Fresh, and Roma), basil, strawberries, lots of peppers, cucumbers, green beans, and lettuce.
They are spaced a little tight for now, but they’re small and I intend to have two more boxes in the next 6 weeks, so I can transplant if necessary.
There was a whole day of demolition in there that I’ll save for another post, but suffice it to say things were demolished, and then today it was back to the garden.
This time MysteryMan set me up with the tiller and then left to go reclaim some 2×4 studs or drink mai-tai’s or something. Let me say this. I imagine that the newfangled farm equipment is way better than using, say, oxen… but for someone my size it’s certainly not any easier to control. Nine hours later my body feels like I spent the afternoon wrestling a gorilla. But, I have decided to forgo the gym for the rest of the Summer and just spend a few hours a week plowing some shit… I’ll be ripped in no time.
We planted four haphazard rows of corn… which was my first things-you-definitely-only-do-in-the-country gardening experience.
Our hard work was rewarded with a rainbow, which I hoped was good luck for the country garden…
While taking my mandated Union break, I also stumbled across some other little guys that were resting…
(I love the way baby robins always look a little disgruntled.)
Then it was back to Garrison Road where I finished off my green-thumb weekend (or so I thought) re-potting this orchid MysteryMan got me for Valentines Day a couple of years ago. (Before he knew that when I say I don’t celebrate Valentines Day… I actually mean it.) My indoor plants never seem to thrive… but for whatever reason this one likes the abuse I dish out, and it’s bloomed gorgeously every year. Which should teach me a lesson about being contrary regarding mushy-holidays… but really.
Side Note:While MysteryMan does spend and inordinate amount of time trying to put me in a headlock, I have to give him credit… the boy really does pick beautiful flowers for me.
We finally got about 30 minutes to sit down and relax before we heard that there was frost coming in tonight (and somewhere the good luck of the rainbow mocks me). Seriously? 72 hours after I finally got to plant some stuff in my garden? What. The. Shit.
So it was back to the Memorial House to do what we could for the plantlings.
My oh-shit! google search on the way over there suggested covering the plants with milk jugs or a tent made of newspaper. Um. Perhaps these folks have never been to our corner of country-land, which is rather like living in a wind tunnel. We thought going the “bricks-on-top-of-anything-we-could-scrounge-up” route might stand a better chance… from here on out it’s just crossing our fingers!
7 Responses
the gardening pics made me breathe deeply, as if trying to get a whiff of the dirt. looks like you covered them just fine.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and looking at your photos. When I saw your attempt to protect your plantings from the cold it reminded me of how I try to protect my camellia bush. My neighbor Marc, who is a floral designer, has made fun of me and my camellia bush since I planted it. He said Nashville is not Mississippi and camellia’s won’t make it through the winter. Well, let me tell you, I had a bloom this year! Covering that bush in a blanket or beach towel or whatever I have handy when I know a freeze is coming worked! And yes, I did take him my one bloom!!!
Will you be doing any canning this year? We’re half a step ahead of you on the plantings, but no raised beds, as yet. Mrs. OrDie has filled our back yard, virtually to the brim and it occurs to me that we are going to be up to our eyeballs in tomatoes and peppers (etc., etc.). So, I’m shooting for a couple cases of salsa.
Wanna compete? (no losers as far as I can tell).
Oh, Mark, you are SO ON!
Forgot to mention:
Those are KICKASS raised beds. Very nice. Very substantial.
Almost overkill. I.e., Just our style. 😀 I’m not going to let Mrs. OrDie see those. If she does, she’ll be back there in the yard copying them for sure.
M
Thanks for a an interesting blog, I am living in South Africa and would like to get start my own home gym shop. Do you reccomend any top brands, or places to buy equipment from? thanks
Great garden beds. For your tool wish list, add a rear tine roto tiller, the bigger the better. The rear tine tillers are far easier to control (think one hand strolling to the side easy) and do a better job of conditioning the soil as well as incorporating.
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