As the garden grows

Just as the show, Days of Our Lives, in my daily 'show' I have 'as the garden grows'. Every year at this time, warmer weather and not as cool breezes give me an itchin' to buy plants. This time of year my addiction grows to two, mac and cheese and plants (mac and cheese is a year long addiction). A gal could have alot worse addictions I suppose.

I picked up yet another bag of soil last night and many a plants were able to be planted or re-potted. Right after the freeze and beating Southeastern Arizona (and much of the United States) received, the hardware store was selling slightly damaged plants for quite a bargain. I have always wanted a larger house plant, and this was my chance. So I took this refuge-seeking plant in and watered it and kept it warm, but for the most part I ignored it. This has treated the plant greatly, and it is now thriving. So it was plant numero uno planted last night, and it received a name, Molly the Majesty Palm. Welcome to the family, glad we could finally meet in the most proper of ways! Not only am I addicted to plants I can eat, but ones that make me smile too, and little miss molly does just that!.

A friend picked up a special pepper for me in Tucson (one that originates in Sonora Mexico), so that was another plant planted, along with a cinnamon basil, tomato, and a bin ready for two strawberry plants.

It seems that I cannot buy enough soil often enough, and there are not enough hours in a day. With working a "real" job, gardening is just a toy, a past time that keeps me out of trouble. I was drilling drainage holes and potting well into dark last night. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I also made contact with another individual that has a supply of worms, and I hope to increase in worms this week as well. After talking with folks, and gaining valuable information from those who have composted cheaply in previous years, I have decided to alter my system, just because it makes sense. I will take some pics when finished and have them available to share with you. Just passin' it on!

Just a few shots of what has popped up and taken shape.....beets, three rows of lettuce and one of spinach, collards, chard, dill, one parsley plant, tons of onions, oregano...

a wee little row of onions

mi pepper waiting to be planted (say that one fast five times, will ya?)

 

 

 

 

the rosemary that replaced the one that froze

oh how the lettuce has grown!

I will be stopping off at the feed store on the way home to pick up a straw bale. I have not straw bale gardened before, but have wanted to take a stab at it since hearing of it last year. I am going to start setting up a three section above ground planting space for plants that need to run DEEP. And of course, buy more soil, the story of my life.

Creepy crawling creatures, Oh My!

I have wanted to have a compost bin for quite some time now. Every time I would look into purchasing a bin, I take a look at my pocket book, and the two never seemed to get along. Luckily, most of my vegetable ends make their way into the freezer to make veggie stock, but then post stock making the leftovers went into the trash. That is, until this past week.

I was introduced to a cheap and easy way to make a compost bin at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/easywormbin.htm, and with the materials, minus the red wiggler worms, were found around the house.

So I set out to make a bin, followed the directions, and in the end had a bin.

 

 

 

Notice: Picture from website, not actual Hooper bin

But, once I had the bin, I needed the extra ingredient, the wiggly work horses, err, worms. I had heard about a local ranch, Recla Ranch, that supplied the surrounding area with red wiggler worms. After work I drove over, met one of the owners, and left, a very proud owner of a small amount of worms for the bin.

As I named as many as I could, Wiggles,Skinny, Curly, Slim, Hank, Pedro.... I placed them in the bin, my chest puffed with pride. Finally! I had a compost bin after so many years of yearning. A little soil, dead plant matter, a few food scraps and moistened cardboard, and the lid safely secured, I left the bin outside the kitchen door to work its magic.

I am not so sure how long it will take the military of eaters to make compost, but I excitedly peeked on them last night, and they are working away. Now my food wastes have been reduced even greater. I now can add the veggie scraps that made stock (once cooled of course) to the compost to feed the wigglers.

Oh how this garden is growing...

It's all about the water...

Living in the desert allows a gardener to think of differing ways to water without creating an ever rising water bill. I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that each gardening season I build from the previous season. Last summer my water collection practices comprised of buckets and differing small water catchment items like unused gardening pots to catch the torrential downpour from the seasonal monsoons. This year, as the building continues, I upgraded to an actual water catchment barrel. A canning company located in the Sulphur Springs Valley, on the east side of the Mustang Mountains, re-sells their barrels that once contained peppers for this exact purpose. Now I understand that this is not something new, many folks have been doing such a thing for quite some time now. But, this is new in my world, and fancy in terms of the standards in which I live.


 Not only is the water catchment a new desired tool of mine, but from what it catches is as well. As a friend moved onto the compound, she brought along with her an apartment sized washing machine that is now hooked up outside. No more laundry mat for the occupants of one particular home on Opera Dr. Nope, washing abilities are out the backdoor with solar dryers. Oh how the little things make the difference.

Yes sir-ee, the ol brothel that sits on the hillside now washes clothing outside, and catches the water to be used in the garden. What a concept! Water that once went in the sewer now goes in the garden (special soap required).

Now, little by little, I will add to my collection of water catchment barrels and will successfully catch rainwater this summer as well.

The sprouts of lettuce above have grown, and many more have sprouted. Once most have sprouted, the water from the catchment can be used.

Many more great things are happening with this little garden, worms, recycled planters, and even Lady of Guadalupe, but one must wait......

It's just the beginning...

Let me catch you up: Graduation date, and last official day of another college career of classes, December 19, 2010. It took me a few weeks, possibly only a couple, until I was completely bored out of my mind. No more homework, way less time spent thinking. Oh how the boredom had set in. After an unordinary search through a large book bin at the local grocery store, I found a book of backyard projects. And as it was, the book was 1/2 price, what a deal! To say the least, it came home with me, and I started thinking, not about classes and due dates, but what I can now build.

In an effort to enhance my gardening experiences on a yearly basis, it only made sense to start my first backyard project by building an herb planter to help offset all the herbs and lettuces I buy at the Co-op. I set out to build an off the ground planter so the usual suspects that might nibble on the yummy treats cannot reach the growing plants.

So, the building began. I built a 3x5 ft, three section planter. In Bisbee, where I live, if something is by the dumpster it is for the taking. One person's trash... A friend found six legs that were once on a table, and are now (four of them anyhow) legs to a planter. How fancy!

A total of nine rows of plants, three in each section, containing two rows of lettuce and parsley in the first, dill, second generation basil, and onion in the second, and (planted two weeks later) cilantro, mesclun mix of lettuce and mustard, and spinach. Is your mouth watering yet?

With trying to do such a thing with minimal costs, bubble wrap from a friend's move has been stapled to the frame for a warmth giving blanket for the cold mountain nights. And with bubble wrap to the rescue, the newly sprouted lettuce (the first riser!) lived through the snow we endured last weekend. Way to go bubble wrap.

With each day I will watch this little planter grow, and since finishing building and planting, many other seeds have made it to soil. My plan of attack now includes finding pots in which to grow plants, or find materials that can be used as make-shift planters.

Let's watch this little newly build and re-used garden grow!