Hello all. Hope this finds everyone well.
Hope everyone has taken care of taxes - tomorrow is the day!!!!!
It is a warmer morning here today. Right now it is 70* here. It is much warmer in the house than that. It is 77* in the house! It got to 80*+ yesterday and I did not turn on AC - slept with fans on. I already have windows all open this morning to let that cooler air in - it is a breezy day - so that will help some.
Just a few words today about trying to grow some of your own food. It is about that time of the year, and many are getting started. You do not have to have a big garden! You can grow small amounts and in all kinds of containers and places - and have fresh goods for your counter.
not my picture
I know some folks have homeowner associations that say no gardens (insane) - but there can be ways around it. Plant amongst flowers and bushes or if you have a patio - use that area with pots and nice containers. I am sure if you think on it, you can find a way around those crazy rules!Every little bit you grow is something that you do not have to buy. Today, that is a good thing.
Use containers, if need be. Things that grow well in containers are herbs, leafy greens, cherry tomatoes (or patio tomatoes), peppers, radish and spring onions. I always have a couple of pots just outside the kitchen door growing lettuce greens and green onions. I just need to walk out the door and get freshness for a salad.
You don't even need to spend a lot of money on seeds. I know folks that have used the seeds that come from store bought tomatoes and peppers. Now mind you that you probably won't an exact replica of the veggie (most things are crossed), but it will be fresh. If you have heirloom veggies - you can save seed and it will always be the same. Maybe see if someone has extra plants that they need to get rid of. You can even use some store-bought veggies and continue growing and using them. (celery and green onions are both easy).
You can use buckets, tubs, crates, hanging baskets, flowerpots or anything that you may have that holds dirt. Make sure you make some drainage holes and maybe add a little rock to the bottom, and you are good to go. I have even seen people use bags of dirt (laid flat) - poke a few drainage holes in the bottom side of bag and slit open the other side of bags (l--l) and plant shallow root items - lettuce, radish, onions, etc.
Think about a trellis for vining items such as cucumbers or beans or even old shelving units to contain many pots and containers.
You need a spot that has a good 6 hours of light. You need some decent soil. Keep things watered and don't over crowd. Add a little fertilizer every few weeks, as they are in pots and not gaining nutrients from nature's soil.
My brother has even used straw bales to plant in! Yep - you can do that. He had good luck with squash. The bales last a good few years and when done - can be mulched into compost and the soil.
He lives on 3 acres, so has a lot of trees. Leaves and smaller sticks are composted. Limbs and other small items are often burned, and the ash is used in the garden beds as potash. Big trees (fallen) have been turned into 'lumber' with his chain saw and a homemade version of a mill and those made his raised beds. He has a huge compost pile and great garden every year. He utilizes all he can from what he has.
Good example of growing indoors!
So don't give in and say 'I can't grow' anything. You can grow something.
WHY?
You save money - not buying
Chemical free food - always healthier
NO packaging to have to throw away
FRESH and yummy
Start small and build your confidence and skills. Maybe it is herbs in the kitchen window or a pot of lettuce or green onions outside the back door. Or a large pot with a tomato plant or a pepper plant - every little bit helps the budget. Get the kiddos involved too - it is a fun activity and there is always something to learn. (even for adults)
I can personally testify, that there is absolutely nothing that tastes better than something you have grown and harvested and placed on your dinner plate!!!!
I wish you all a super day.
Stay frugal and stay happy!
I hope a lot more people start to garden now, even if just a little. Like you said, growing your own tastes so good plus, it is fun and a bit of exercise in the fresh air. The garlic I planted in the fall is about two feet high now and looking really good. All of the herbs came back, and I added even more to the herb garden so I can continue to dehydrate for the winter. My goal is to double my large herb garden. I have lettuce, cilantro and arugula growing on the patio. In a week or two I will start out in the garden beds. This year I am going to try growing potatoes in a laundry basket lined with landscaping linen and I've already set up two of my garden beds as keyhole gardens. I picked up two cheap metal pots with holes and have buried them in the middle and filled with food scraps. As it breaks down, it will fertilize the soil. I'm excited to see how this goes.
ReplyDeleteI am with you - I hope more people give it a try. With the cost of store bought - it is just good sense to grow something.
DeleteYou have a great plan. I like that idea of garden planted compost pots. I was moving some pots around this morning - hoping to do a bit more in pots not just the ground. I can't wait to hear how yours turns out.
I always grow in pots here. No way am I interested in paying for city water to deal with a whole garden bed. At the moment the veggies is one parsley, and it's doing great. :) Not sure how long that will last as we have innumerable black swallowtail butterflies feasting on the azalea blooms, and parsley is where they like to lay eggs.
ReplyDeleteWe're having a hot spell, in the upper 80s. I've had to suddenly remember how to adjust the blinds indoors to keep the sunshine out but let some light in!
Still dry as dust here, no rain, no rain in sight. Your celery looks great, Cheryl! Funny, how different the 3 plants are.
MaryB
Glad to see you are using pots to grow. Hopefully you can get/keep some rainwater when it does rain. I love my rain barrels.
DeleteThey keep saying rain here, but so far nothing in my area (all up north). I hope you get some.
It is odd how the plants have done - same day and same time started and so different.
It is very satisfying to watch plants grow and then harvest them. You are so right about container gardening. Just keep them watered as they dry out quickly. The Farmer is using clay pots that he has plugged the drainage hole with a wine stopper. The water seeps out slowly, instead of watering every day. Special clay containers are available for that but using plain old everyday clay pots is much cheaper. My sister-in-law lives in a nice area in Lebanon and they have a "rule" that there can be no plants over 18 inches. Granted some people don't take care of their gardens and yard but I think fences are allowed. We put up a privacy fence years ago and while we try to keep up with everything, if something isn't done right away, it is unseen by the neighbors. Gardening can get messy! ha!
ReplyDeleteWindy this morning but sunny. Need to go out and tackle weeds again. Beginning to see some daylight, so to speak.
Enjoy your day!
That is a good idea on the clay pots - they do tend to seep out water more slowly and naturally.
DeleteYou would think in this day and age, some of the rules would be lessened. I still think you could use the patio area and just shield it some way!
You do need to keep up on in-ground plantings and weed and such.
I mowed this morning and the wind sure felt nice - I didn't get hot at all.
Beautiful day to work outside.
I am looking forward to my garden when I get back!
ReplyDeleteI am so ready for fresh veggies straight from the back yard!!!
DeleteIn my opinion there is nothing nicer than picking a tomato straight off the plant and eating it while it is still warm from the sun.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read Donna's comment about the 18 inches rule, but I am sure that there are lots of edible things that could still be grown, even things you might not consider at first, if you get the right variety. I have grown dwarf tomato and chilli plants and even dwarf runner bean plants, which only grew to about a foot high.
I agree 100%! Some of my est memories as a kiddo - with daddy in the garden and sitting under the shade tree to eat our fresh picked tomatoes!
Deleteyes, bush beans, lettuce, carrots, radish, dwarf tomato - even bush cucumbers. I'd sure find a way.