What's What
June 4, 2010 (Before I say anything else... Roasted Tomato & Pepperoni Pizza recipe up on the cooking page today. Check it out! Make it! Eat it! Let your tastebuds run wild!)
I thought I'd do a little run-down of what's what in my garden. This is partially for your entertainment, partially for my own enjoyment, to look back upon someday down the line. I was meticulous about putting in little stakes next to everything I planted with the name of the seed on them. I don't think I needed to be quite that meticulous, but it pleased my anal retentive nature, and it only took me a split second to do it, so I did.
Now I'm going to produce labeled pictures of where everything is located as well. Again, unnecessary, but pleases my anal retentive nature. And in my chaotic world of potty training, strewn toys, and neglected toenail painting, whenever I can sneak in a little something that pleases my anal retentive nature, I do.
There is actually some method to my madness in how I planted things. The middle and back end of the garden there (from the sweet potatoes to the squash and pumpkins) is the worst for weeds and grass that want to creep back in, so I planted those particular veggies there because they get big and viney and over time will help to out compete and smother some of the undesireables.
(Hopefully. We'll see how my logic works out.)
It's hard to see in the picture, but the horse fence borders the garden on both the far end and the left side, so they help to keep down the grass and other vegetation on those sides. For once, the horses are actually earning their keep!
The far right side is my problem area. It is alongside the ditch, so grass and weeds are really creeping in. It is also where I planted potatoes and onions earlier this spring, so it couldn't be re-tilled like the rest of the garden. Again, this didn't bode well for the grass and weed situation in that area. I've been trying to keep up with the weeds around the onions. The potatoes are another story. I need to get out there, badly, and do some serious weeding. But the good news is that potatoes are big and hardy, and will also eventually get even bigger and smother out some of the other vegetation, so I'm hoping this will all work out in the end.
I'm hoping.
I'm also a little bit fearful that the weeds will creep in even more, and I'll be too busy with potty training, picking up toys and painting my toenails to keep up. But you know what? They're potatoes. If all is lost, I'll go to the store and buy a 10# bag and all will be right with the world.
Looking at the bigger picture, after everything is harvested this fall, my plan is to a) spread corn gluten meal on the garden to help combat reseeding of weeds next spring; and b) lay newspapers down over the garden, again to smother out the grass and weeds, in hopes that next year they will be more subdued. I'm also thinking I might try to change the dimensions of the garden a bit so that I can fence along the right side as well, between the garden and the road ditch, so that the horses can assist in eating things down on that side as well.
I know. This is riveting stuff. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat.
I tell you this not only to please my anal retentive nature, but also to help myself remember what it is I need to do in the fall, because I will, in all likelihood, forget. And I need to remember these fall projects. They are integral to my 2011 time management.
You think I'm joking.
But I'm not.
(For once.)
2011 is the year I vow to keep up on my toenail painting.
There is one little area that I have complete weed control over... The herb garden!
Or should I say 'herb stock tank'? Remember the stock tank that we used to contain our children? Some neighbors in Colorado left it at the end of their driveway in a 'give away' pile, and we just couldn't resist a good stock tank, even though we had no use for it at the time.
You can take the gal off the farm and move her to the mountains for awhile, but you can't take the farm out of the gal and expect her to not be drawn to a discarded, but still useful, stock tank. And it's a good thing too, because now the gal is back on the farm and using the stock tank for an herb garden!
Now it sits right outside the kitchen window, where it's nice and handy and protected from the wind. Right now the herbs are but wee babes, so consider this the 'before' picture of the herb garden. In a month or so they should be getting big enough to use, and I'll show you some 'after' pictures.
And if I ever need to use it as a play pen again I'll just dump the dirt out.
Alright, that's enough garden talk for now. I don't want you all to get too bored overstimulated by all this exciting subject matter, if you haven't already.
In conclusion, I would just like to show you this...
Elsa, chewing on my leg.
Your daily dose of Elsa.
You're welcome.
Reader Comments (4)
I love your garden pictures. So what is the lattcie for? What 'cha got planted there?
I'm headed over to the cooking part cuz I think pizza from the Farmer Gal would be fab-a-lous!
The lattice is for the peas and the green beans, which are pole beans. The lattice is actually baby gates that we don't really have any use for in our new house, so I figured, why no use them in the garden?
I hope you love the pizza!!!
Hah! You used my favorite word. Sorry it was about weeds, but I LOVE the word "plethora." One of those things that makes me happy. I work it into conversations whenever possible. ; )
Love the daily dose of Elsa. She is so stinkin' cute.
Your garden is amazing. Huge. I aim to one day have a garden like yours. IF I am not too old when that day arrives. And thank you for the darling Elsa pictures. I am a sucker for puppies. That is why I have a dog. Who I love, love, love! Just think all that I would have missed out on without a puppy to start all this crazy love thing....