One of my goals for the coming season is to be a better planner.
This is a little difficult for me, because I struggle with reconciling my dreams for the gardens with the realities of life.
For example, I would love to turn the front lawn into an artful landscape, rather than have a bunch of boring grass. But one day we hope to sell our house and upgrade to dreamier diggs. We live in a typical suburban neighborhood where Scotts lawns are abundant. Removing the lawn could do serious damage to our home’s value.
If I could sum up how I wish things were, I fall somewhere between wanting the whole property to be an English cottage garden, and wanting productive spaces for food crops.
Since there is still a month or two before things begin to warm, I thought I would sit down and take a hard look at what I’ve got.
I created a basic layout of the property. And actually, I’m surprised at how much space is dedicated to gardens and living things. It’s a simple exercise, but it’s really forcing me to see the space for what it truly is.
My next step is to consider what I want to grow, what I want to accomplish, and then figure out how those goals fit into the picture.
For starters, I’m going to find ways to incorporate more food crops into ornamental gardens.
Then I’m going to see what kinds of things should be moved or eliminated, like the roses. I struggle with them, but I really don’t have a good home for any of them, except the bush rose on the northwest corner of the house.
Hopefully I’m on my way to better planning and less frustration!
Oh, how I love these little bowls!
Margaret Dorfman's "Veggie Bowls"
Find them here.
Margaret also makes beautiful bracelets, which I’ve had my eye on for some time.
I’m constantly fascinated by using pieces of nature in art, and this is right up my alley.
Happy New Year!
It’s been weeks since my last post, and admittedly it’s because the garden is buried in snow.
But here’s to new beginnings, and I’m ready to get back into the game. Even though I’ve been driven indoors, there’s lots to do. In fact, I’m already salivating over the seed catalogs that are beginning to trickle in the door.
Thanks to a last minute carrot harvest, my pull for the season is approximately 81.6 pounds. How does it all shake down?
Beans: 3 lbs.
Broccoli: .25 lbs.
Cucumbers: 23.65 lbs.
Carrots: 3.5 lbs.
Peppers: 3.775 lbs.
Pumpkins: 29 lbs.
Tomatoes: 13.635 lbs.
Watermelons: 4.8 lbs.
Looking at some of these results, I have to wonder if the effort was worth the outcome. I’ll be spending the next few months thinking about that, plus I’ll assess how I used what I picked. Unfortunately, whether it was lack of time, or lack of understanding, a percentage of things went to waste.
I was so proud when I pulled up more than three-and-a-half pounds of carrots this week. That’s better than I had hoped for.
They’re not the most beautiful carrots. A close inspection would tell anyone that I neglected to thin out the seedlings, and my soil is probably too compacted. But they are so aromatic and taste fantastic. And that’s all the success I need.
OK, I’ll admit it. Things have gotten away from me. Way away.
It’s been a really weird fall around here. There were some cold days a few weeks ago, but lately things have soared into the high 60s. Roses are still producing blooms, and I’m way behind on closing up shop for the winter. I never got around to planting the wheat, but if I had known that warm temperatures would persist into mid-November, I would have done it.
There’s still some green on the ground, and some color in the leaves. And just enough daylight to make the last moments of the garden shine.
Liatris in fall
A friend passed along news of this new publication , and I think it sounds really interesting.
I’m constantly fascinated by urban farming and how people can come up with inventive ways to use space. I have a few friends in my home capital city who use vacant lots to grow food. Then there’s what you can do if you’ve got more money than you can manage.
As the world deals with an expanding crisis of food security, I’m paying attention to ways we can make a difference, even if its just by using the spaces we’ve got.
I just wanted to take a moment to recognize some the fabulous photos posted in the Suburban Farm’s Flickr pool. Here are some of my favorites.
Courtesy of beegirl21
Courtesy of Stellvilla
Courtesy of hiphomemaker
Courtesy of Chiot's Run
Thanks for sharing scenes of your life “down on the farm.” I, and others, can’t wait to see what’s next.
What a lousy year for corn.
Every ear is small and deformed. I consulted my husband’s aunt, who has plenty of experience with corn, and she concluded that this summer was just a lousy year for corn (among other things). With more than fifty days of rain, everything suffered. Just about everyone I talk to has a story to tell about short plants, worms, and low yeilds.
It’s easy to commiserate over our small family plots, but what hurts the most is seeing farmers lose everything on account of one bad year.
The wheat seeds are here, but UGH! It’s really hard to find a minute to clear out a patch and put them in the ground. I feel like I’m racing against time. (aren’t we all?) The sun disappears well before I put my little boy to bed. During the summer I had a full 30 minutes of uninterrupted time in the Suburban Farm after he went to bed.
Anyway, Saturday should be the day to sow the wheat and hope for the best.
Plus, I have updates on corn and watermelons. Hint: they ain’t great.
