sb158's Valley Garden » Garden Supplies

It Actually Rained!!!

sb158 — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:18:26 +0000

Isn’t that amazing? Seriously, we haven’t had any significant rain in months, but a cool front came through Saturday morning. We got a good downpour, and things are looking much better for it. With this clay muck, it was too muddy after the rain to do anything garden – related.

Sunday I went to the local big blue box store, and bought some more “dirt” and stuff. Also bought a pink jasmine vine, but that was my daughter’s fault. She said it smelled really good and was really pretty. Then she said, and I quote, “You need this plant!” Who was I to argue with that? LOL…

I needed the dirt and stuff to start building a new bed. The “volunteer” tomato that sprouted ages ago in the compost is blossoming already; it’s ready for a permanent home! I looked at tomato stakes, but couldn’t believe the price they were charging! Why in the world do they think I’d be willing to pay $32.00 just to hold up a tomato plant? Was going to build a 4-sided cage, but changed my mind real fast! I have the PVC pipe from my arbor thingy, so I spray-painted 3 pieces green, and made a “tomato teepee” instead. Forgot to take pics today, but will try to remember tomorrow.

After I made the teepee, I marked out a 5′ circle, then dug a nice big 2′ wide and deep hole where I want to put the tomato. To fill it, I used the same 3″ alternating layers of greens, browns, and soil with which I make the lasagna beds. I’ll plant the tomato in the lasagna bed; the good stuff in the hole should give the tomato plenty to grow on!

I poked a bunch of holes in the circle with my digging fork, sprinkled on some organic amendments, then covered the circle with cardboard. I soaked it real well; tomorrow I can start building the “lasagna bed” around the tomato plant. I’m thinking the best way to go is to leave the tomato in its pot right where I’m going to plant it, then build the bed around it. Once the bed is done and settled a day or two, I’ll unpot the tomato and plop it right in it’s custom-fitted hole!

In keeping with the permaculture concept of diversifying plantings, and supplying a plant with what it needs, I’ll plant some flowers to attract beneficial insects, some nutrient accumulators and nitrogen-fixers to feed it, and something to act as a windbreak to keep that south wind from sucking the life out of the poor thing. Not entirely sure what will be the final bed configuration, but I hope I plant the right stuff to help the tomatoes grow!

For right now, tired from a long day in the garden, and planning another one tomorrow, so….

Gnite, y’all!

I Got Dirt!

sb158 — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:31:41 +0000

Hubby finally got a couple hours so we could go get my compost. You can tell he did not come from a gardening family! Rather than appreciate the merits of good compost, all he did was complain about the “aroma.” He didn’t even want to touch it to tie the tarp down. It was funny! I grew up hauling compost all over Grandma’s garden, but all he did was get creeped out about it. This is a man who can fix an x-ray machine in an operating room during an operation, and think it’s really “cool,” but gets creeped out by a little compost. Go figure?!?
After we finally got it home, I had to go get a neighbor kid and pay him to help me dump it in the garden bed, cuz hubby was not gonna do that, uh uh, no way, not gonna happen. Still gotta go get the rest of my ingredients, but by the end of the weekend, my babies should at last have a place to call home!
My poor muscles are really complaining about the unaccustomed work, too. Been a long time since this old gal shifted so much dirt around, and I can definitely feel it.
In other news, the Monster Mud pot is still drying, looking good so far, and the morning glories are starting to grow and twine around the upside down tomato cage.
And there were two Stargate movies on Sci-Fi TV tonight. Woo-Hoo! I miss that show so much.

Oy! Last Gasp Stronger Than I Thought

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 07:20:41 +0000

It’s been in the low 50′s to mid-40′s with constant dreary, drippy rain since that front blew in about 3 am the other night. I hope all those poor Spring-Breakers brought their winter coats as well as the bikinis to Padre Island. I bet they aren’t the least bit pleased with this weather, no matter how much we need the rain.

It might be cool and damp, but I am still enjoying every last second of this. It’ll probably be the last time I’m even remotely comfortable for the next 9 months. Sigh…

On the garden front, I finally did the math (not my best thing) and figured out how much “dirt” I need to fill my garden. Just have to go buy it now.

Planted some of my new seeds Friday night, so we’ll see how fast they sprout, as compared to the old ones. At least I hope they sprout!

G’nite, y’all.

Almost Ready

admin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:58:37 +0000

Whew! Busy weekend. My bed is finally almost ready for the “dirt.” DH finished it yesterday, so I started putting down cardboard, prior to landscape fabric. Today I put down what landscape fabric I had, but ran out before I finished.

Off to Big Orange for some more. Bad, very bad! Walked in there and saw all those plants. I tried to resist, really, I did, but…

I didn’t. I bought a bunch of herb plants, the ones I had tried to start from seed, but haven’t yet. My seeds, as previously mentioned, are pretty old, and haven’t had much luck with anything but tomatoes. Ordered more, but, I guess due to increased demand, none of them have gotten here yet. Guess I’m impatient, but, given our looming long, hot summer, there just isn’t that much time to waste waiting for them.

I love lavender, and found a plant. That’s what started it all. Then I saw the rest of the herbs. Oh no! Temptation. Sigh…

I found a Blackie Sweet Potato vine, and had been wanting to try that. The color is gorgeous. Then I thought, well, if I put the lavender and the Blackie in a container, but, wait, it will need something else. So I bought a nice yellow lantana, picturing a nice contrast with the lavender foliage and purple flowers…

Then I needed a BIG container to put them in…you see what happens? LOL, you guys know what I mean.

Surprisingly, I actually did remember to get more landscape fabric. By the time I got my container potted and the herbs repotted, it was too dark (and I was providing a nice meal for too many mosquitoes) to do the landscape fabric. That’ll have to wait till tomorrow.

No pics tonight, as it was also too dark to take pictures. I’ll try to remember to do that tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I’m a happy camper cuz I actually have something growing in my yard now, even if it’s only in pots.

I guess I gotta buy stuff

sb158 — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:18:21 +0000

Got the plan, now I need the stuff. These veggies better be good, cuz they’re costing me a fortune! The only thing I had left from prior gardens was a bunch of 10-year-old seeds. They’re not all that old, but some are. I bought a shelf, lights, “dirt”, and even had to buy a trowel. Not to mention the lumber to build the beds and the Mel’s Mix to fill them…

My Lights:

I had to wonder if my old seeds were even any good any more. Much to my amazement, most of them are sprouting. I’ve had the best luck with tomato seeds. The peppers are a bit slower, but the moonflower and morning glory seeds sprouted right away. I ordered some more seeds, for which I am still impatiently waiting, to see if I can get more than a few pepper plants.

Baby Tomatoes:

Too late down here for cool-weather crops, have to wait until fall for lettuce, broccoli, and such. That’s a bummer, for sure.

DH finally went to the store and got my lumber, and started building my bed today.

Finally:

I still have to put down cardboard and landscape fabric under the bed, and, yes, I know the trellis is falling. He fixed it later…