La capacidad del sol

The sun is shining and I have been graciously called outdoors by its solar powers. The last few weekends have been nice enough to provide ample time to get to all the outdoor activities I hid from during the cold snap of winter. I am trying to keep ahead of the game because once the plants are ready to be moved outside, full force gardening will take place and I won't have time to do all the piddly preparation stuff. And to be honest, it is one of my favorite past times, piddly anything. I chose a strawberry Topsy Turvy at work's holiday White Elephant gift exchange. I have wondered how these things work, so it was a given I would choose this to take home. I finally assembled it yesterday. How cute! So much more piddly business needs to take place in the next couple to three weeks.

Hung and proud (I went there, yes)

A flower!

The garden provided a bit during the winter, but in reality it was a rest period and the compound shows this in appearance. Picking up and thinking up ideas for best practices of the garden this year is what I am digging at this time. Since I am giving up on gardening up top sans fence I am bringing the soaker hoses from up top to the plants in the fence. Only one plant thrived up top, the tomatillo, so condensing the middle area and bringing down the hoses will be new and different from last year.  A little test, if you will.

Last year I got over the stigma I had with growing flowers. At the time I didn't think I could or should foster the growth of a plant that didn't provide food. Thank goodness for garden evolution and my neighbors having the most kick ass flowers (can we say jealous?). Since I fell in love with the beauty of the colors from last year, I couldn't resist. I have started flowers this year, YEAH! A couple of folks are selling flowers at the Farmer's Market to raise money for a documentary so I picked up a couple of dwarf snap dragons and then a geranium from the hardware store. The new plants, coupled with a set of new pots I have been eying for months, and KA-POW! Slowly but surely the plants are making their way outside and beautifying the porch. I give it about two weeks before the others begin to emerge. I feel one more cold snap is in the future...

Little by little they emerge from the house

During last week's body fluid expulsionary sickness I found Pinterest and the introduction to all the wonderful ideas people put in one convenient location. The fever stricken moments allowed for the searching of gardening genius, and this weekend I started on the ideas. I have wanted to grow potatoes for some time now but the ground here is a tad sketchy and try my best to not grow directly into it if I don't have to.  A potato tower? Yes, please.  I saw the pin before I really had the whole Pinterest idea, so I lost the original instructions and found a random one on the internet. I am not as satisfied with the look on the one I made versus the one in the link above (the original pin), but I don't think looks really matter in this game. I only have two blue potato plants that were a test at the current moment. I will pick up a plethora of kinds of potatoes today at the Co-op to add to the bin. I will then add the soaker hose to it, the lettuce tray, carrot and chive box, and the garlic box.

'Hog wire' fencing

A couple of blue potatoes in straw and a bit of dirt

Another pin showed me a method of onion end re-purposing. Let's see how it does. I added an end of a celery stalk too,  just to see how this might work also. Although the celery and onion ends were sharing a space oh- so- well, I moved the celery to its own container post picture for optimal success.

Celery and onion get an 'A' in sharing.

Little plantling update: About 20 of 24 plant varieties have popped up and are doing well. This just proves with the right conditions this seed sprouting business can occur with the fastest of the fasts. In no time I will be moving them from their nursery to outside like big plants should, sniff, sniff. Aaahhh gardening, I have missed you...Let the good times roll (again).