Aaaaand We're Off

Today I planted 6 different tomato plant seeds, 30 in all.

Sun Sugar-a small yellow
Brandy wine-a pinky-red beefsteak
Mortgage Lifter-large 1/2-1lb. fruits
Sweetie-cherry tomato
Cherokee Purple
Big Red-an heirloom

If half make it, we'll still have plenty to harvest. I also started red onion and mesclun seeds. The 5 paper egg cartons fit perfectly in the tray.

Getting ready for 2013

Ms. Griffin sent me a note telling me to let her know what plot near us we might want to farm this summer. While HH is probably enough, I was thinking a little more space for runners like melons and sweet potatoes might be nice.

It was just one year ago that I started my milkjug greenhouses for last year's garden. Probably time to get started on that for this year. Hopefully my seeds will be in this week. I've been saving paper egg cartons to use as starter cups. I'm hoping they'll work as well as the newspaper cups.

Getting ready

Last night I ordered seeds from the Urban Farmer site. They had some different items that I'd like to try.

Winter planting

It was cold, but sunny today. I planted 6 cloves of garlic in the herb bed.

Holly-days

Got a little crafty today. Made this swag out of Christmas tree branches, boxwood, nandina and holly from around the yard.
How I did it:
• 7 longer cuttings from the tree pointing downward and 5 shorter cuttings pointing upward, over lapping about 3-4 inches
• Tie together tightly with wire
• After that, slip in shorter cuttings of evergreen plants, including some with red berries. Besides these, you could also use ivy, mahonia-which mine are flowering right now, pine, cypress or yew.
• Finally, tie on a shiny bow (check Youtube for great bow-tying videos) and hang on a door or garden gate.

And Now We Sleep

It is the day before Thanksgiving and it is apparent that these acres have had some freezing temps. At home, I have plants that are still green and flowering. Even the tomatoes have fruit on them. So, I've come to say goodbye to my little plot until I see it again in March. Sleep well, my new Friend, I look forward to our adventures next year.

It is Done

Actually the work has been done for a while now. Mostly when I go out to Shelby Farms now I just piddle around pulling up the dead stuff and planning for next year. Today I took out 3 bags of leaves and dumped them with hopes that they will composte over the winter and add nutrients to the soil in the spring when they come out to plow.

I did not walk away empty handed. The butter bean plants still had some pods that I salvaged before throwing the plants on the heap of crap by the road. The green beans are challenged by the cooler weather, but are producing some tiny pods. I got all I could today. Those plus the butter beans probably together will equal 5 mouthful of food--enough for a half serving for a regular person or for all 3 of my boys on any given day. I started picking jalepeno peppers, but quickly ran out of room in my hands. So out came the plant, still covered in dozens of little peppers. I left it on the patio and will try to figure out what to do with them tomorrow. The rest of the haul were: one reg. sized and three tiny beets; two small purple onions; a half dozen of regular looking scallions; and one six inch carrot. So, an odd assortment of food in very small quantities for me to figure out what to do with them. (An incomplete sentence, I know.)