I’ve been majorly behind on posting new posts lately. I’ve got a million ideas about things to write about, but ugh, that’s exactly my problem – too many things in my head at once. At all times.
I gotta work on this focus thing.
You know one thing that always brings me back into balance though? My garden. I may have a teeny, tiny house – but I do have a teeny, tiny backyard with it, and I’ve ripped up a few square feet of grass to turn into a garden. And even though every year I end up letting it die in the dog days of summer – every year it still makes me happy. And feel balanced.
So enjoy the plethora of pictures below.
This year, I got a bit of late start in planting, though I did start almost all of my own seeds. And mostly from leftover seeds from last year, or from seeds I’d gathered from last years crop…or even from grocery store produce. This was probably my cheapest garden start-up yet.
Also, my garden is small. I’m learning to use vertical space like a champ.
Planting seeds in cardboard egg crates than I can transplant directly to the ground. I’m a fan.
Creative ways to make vertical space: Stack two tomato cages, secure with zip ties and two tall garden stakes.
This once was an Ikea changing table. Now it’s my strawberry and mint growing apparatus.
Garden Early March 2016. (see HERE to compare to my 2015 garden)
Garden Late May 2016.
So far, I’ve got:
Spaghetti Squash that I tie to grow up the tomato cages vertically (and a sunflower)
I even have two small spaghetti squash growing already!
A green bean tower (also made from tomato cages and stakes) and a goofy green bean picker helper.
Two pots of nasturtiums to hopefully help keep my obnoxious aphid/ant problem at bay this year.
Two tomato teepees that aren’t quite producing yet.
My take on the popular “three sisters” companion planting friends: green beans, popcorn, and zucchini. To do a legit three sisters planting, you’re supposed to let the green beans climb the corn stalks, but I should have started the corn stalks earlier if I’d wanted the green beans to have something to grow up. Plus, I’m all into using tomato cages to vertical-ize my garden this year.
Though not in the main garden, I’ve also got a nice flower planter box going along the side of the covered patio. This is the first year I’ve focused on growing flowers that can be cut and displayed over other varieties. The only money I spent on this planter is for a single pack of mixed wildflower seeds from the dollar store. Everything else was growing before and came back. I especially love the black-eyed susans. Oh – and there ARE some bluebonnents in there too, that were easier to see before the other flowers got so tall.
The only real money I spent on my garden this year is on my dwarf apple tree, which I bought as a bare root tree (first time I’d ever planted a bare root tree) and planted in a larger planter. It’s only supposed to get 5′-8′ tall and if we ever move, I can bring the planter with me. I bought it as a way to commemorate the miscarriage I had earlier this year and look – it’s already fruiting! I thought it’d be another year or two before I got any apples, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of these growing.
Whew – ok, back to other things, like oh, more revisions on the script that is taking over my life (in a good way). And these crazy children. That I love. And that drive me bonkers. How can these two little creatures bring such opposite and strong emotions out of me?
#Parenthood, #AmIRight?
