For some reason, my last post didn't take. I'll sum up: I'm still sick with this fatigue thing so that is making my plans drag out. I just got done thinning my corn, which may kill some of it as it was probably too big to do. I tried to keep the ones I pulled out and made more rows...probably a bad idea but that's what the first year is for, right? Seeing if bad ideas work? So we'll see. My camera's battery has died, or I'd take some pictures to post. With the exception of the arugula which I promptly killed, everything else is doing splendidly. I just put some plant food down for everyone, but it was veggie plant food so I hope that my tomatoes don't have issue with it. Again...it's a learning year. I joined something called SPIN farming, for sub-acre farming. I plan on putting in a package for a variance to allow urban farming on my plot this year so I can get started next. Hopefully that works. I plan on the veggies, fruits, and some chickens and honey bees. Should be an interesting year!
But I think my next step will be to get some organic compost to put down to feed all these guys with. They are moving along, but I have to admit I can't wait to see some real growth. I need to research the onions and radishes though. The radishes especially are popping out of the ground...does that mean harvest or add more dirt? I don't even like radishes, but I'm sure I'll love them from my own garden/farm :) Anyway, after two hours of light gardening, it's time for a break and to rest. I can not wait until my energy returns!
13 May 2011
11 May 2011
Long Time...
It's been a little while. Unfortunately, I am still sick. It is making it very hard to get Nelson Acres really taking off...yet ironically I am home all the time so the plants are in some ways getting better care than if I'd been at work . Strange Catch 22 I've found myself in. At any rate, my camera needs a new battery, so no pictures to share. But with the exception of some of the herbs, everything has come up. The corn looks fantastic, and I really need to thin it as soon as I can get some extra energy. I bought some veggie food, but alas today was a rough day so that didn't happen. Even so, things are growing. I did kill my arugula, but replanted and plan on moving that indoors when it really gets warm. Hopefully the a/c inside will keep it cool enough for me to have my greens.
I have been using this down time to research a lot. I joined a google group called SPIN and have read their manual. Good stuff. I'm very excited. I called the county about urban farming, and the nice woman I talked to (Cathy) advised me to put in a package. I got some advice from my SPIN group so that should be started soon. I've made some friends in the SPIN group, too, so I think the moral support for this odd undertaking will help. The plan will now include bees and chickens. Still thinking about the rabbit next door, but I haven't seen my neighbor. I've been spending a lot of days in bed, so I haven't been outside to run into her. Strange...I could just go and knock on her door :) But I'm still not sure the rabbit is such a good idea...I already have Autumn, the dogs, and the house, yard, and gardens to care for!
I am currently reading a book called Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter. Very interesting read. It's giving me some good ideas of the ups and downs of this venture, as well as getting me to think hard about whether I can actually produce meat on my farm...it seems much more likely that I will have tons of pets after their usefulness wanes. But we'll see. Ms. Carpenter gets through it, perhaps I will, too.
Anyway...that is all for now. Hope to get some pictures up soon. I also got a pond for my wildlife certification, hoping to attract wildlife to be a part of my garden. Moving right along...if slowly!
I have been using this down time to research a lot. I joined a google group called SPIN and have read their manual. Good stuff. I'm very excited. I called the county about urban farming, and the nice woman I talked to (Cathy) advised me to put in a package. I got some advice from my SPIN group so that should be started soon. I've made some friends in the SPIN group, too, so I think the moral support for this odd undertaking will help. The plan will now include bees and chickens. Still thinking about the rabbit next door, but I haven't seen my neighbor. I've been spending a lot of days in bed, so I haven't been outside to run into her. Strange...I could just go and knock on her door :) But I'm still not sure the rabbit is such a good idea...I already have Autumn, the dogs, and the house, yard, and gardens to care for!
I am currently reading a book called Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter. Very interesting read. It's giving me some good ideas of the ups and downs of this venture, as well as getting me to think hard about whether I can actually produce meat on my farm...it seems much more likely that I will have tons of pets after their usefulness wanes. But we'll see. Ms. Carpenter gets through it, perhaps I will, too.
Anyway...that is all for now. Hope to get some pictures up soon. I also got a pond for my wildlife certification, hoping to attract wildlife to be a part of my garden. Moving right along...if slowly!
19 April 2011
Moving Right Along
19 Apr 11
Still home sick, but it is allowing me to water the plants and keep a good eye on them. Sunday my very good friend Meri and her brother finished my beds for me and moved 3+ yards of topsoil/compost into them. I planted the cold weather plants, mostly my greens. Of course it's been cold and rainy since, but they are all looking okay. I'll post pictures when I can. Nothing is really taking off yet, but I feel pretty confident as soon as we get some real sun, they will. I also gave plant food to all my established plants this morning and the little Japanese Maple in the front yard. I'm hoping these will all create a synergistic affect as the wildlife does their part in pollinating and such. Of course, the squirrels are a concern, so I'll be keeping an eye on those little buggers.
And I have a big temptation offered to me...my neighbor is looking for a home for a pet rabbit her son found. I don't need another pet between everything else I have going on, but I am such a crazy animal lover. And I just looked up that rabbit droppings are good compost for the garden. Hmmmm....I may casually ask her to meet the little guy.
I'm also looking into an off-shoot of Nelson Acres, specifically utilizing the herbs that I'll be growing. I have been looking up making my own organic hair products and soaps. I got some supplies yesterday and will give it a try. Unfortunately, I've been overdoing it so I need some rest. Gardening is not for the weary...but who can resist when so much is to be gained! Still doing a lot of research. I need to see which veggies I should give the plant food to, and see if they take off. Pictures soon....
Still home sick, but it is allowing me to water the plants and keep a good eye on them. Sunday my very good friend Meri and her brother finished my beds for me and moved 3+ yards of topsoil/compost into them. I planted the cold weather plants, mostly my greens. Of course it's been cold and rainy since, but they are all looking okay. I'll post pictures when I can. Nothing is really taking off yet, but I feel pretty confident as soon as we get some real sun, they will. I also gave plant food to all my established plants this morning and the little Japanese Maple in the front yard. I'm hoping these will all create a synergistic affect as the wildlife does their part in pollinating and such. Of course, the squirrels are a concern, so I'll be keeping an eye on those little buggers.
And I have a big temptation offered to me...my neighbor is looking for a home for a pet rabbit her son found. I don't need another pet between everything else I have going on, but I am such a crazy animal lover. And I just looked up that rabbit droppings are good compost for the garden. Hmmmm....I may casually ask her to meet the little guy.
I'm also looking into an off-shoot of Nelson Acres, specifically utilizing the herbs that I'll be growing. I have been looking up making my own organic hair products and soaps. I got some supplies yesterday and will give it a try. Unfortunately, I've been overdoing it so I need some rest. Gardening is not for the weary...but who can resist when so much is to be gained! Still doing a lot of research. I need to see which veggies I should give the plant food to, and see if they take off. Pictures soon....
15 April 2011
In the beginning....
15 Apr 11, Location: home sick.
This is an interesting time for me. I had big plans for this spring, but here I am too sick to do all those things, so I am instead going to start this blog. I do think this will be a great way to capture my initial attempts at organic gardening, so it is probably best that I can not continue to put together my raised beds. But let's catch up to today...
About 25 Mar, I had my Miracle Gro Organic potting soil, two trays of fifty peat pots, and had gotten my packets of organic seeds. I began filling each peat pot with the potting soil, and then set them up in the little greenhouse cases I had gotten from Home Depot. Shortly, they began growing. The majority of the seeds were from Southern Exposure, but I did have one package of Martha Stewart Organic Sunflowers. Ultimately, I ended up with four trays of fifty, with multiple veggies, herbs, and flowers for the Butterfly/Hummingbird garden I built last year. Some of these are of course Autumn's, and she is very excited about her contribution. Most started growing in very short time, some even outgrew their peat pots. Luckily my mom brought me some of my grandmother's pots to use, and the plants have pretty much soared in those. I just started hardening them to the outside climate a few days ago, and they are doing fantastic. It helps that I'm home because I can pay them so much attention.
I also had decided against tilling, and am instead utilizing the Lasagna Gardening strategy. This is in part due to the heavy clay soil I have in my yard. I ordered three raised beds (also from Home Depot), one a 4'x4', another 8'x8' (driven by my desire to do corn), and the third a ridiculously expensive but very pretty ornate one that resembles a flower when looked at from above. The topsoil mixed with compost arrived today. I have been trying to get the gardens put together, but alas, this illness didn't let me get as far as I'd like, so I am now resting from that. But once they are together, I'll put cardboard and newspaper down on the bottom of each garden bed. This is supposed to reduce the ability of weeds to pop up. I had hoped to add straw as well, but in my current state something had to give. So friends are coming to help me this Sunday to move the topsoil/compost mixture into each garden, as tomorrow it is supposed to rain heavily.
I have such a variety and so many are really doing well, so at this point I'll point out the ones not doing well, mostly herbs: thyme, oregano, feverfew, chamomile, peppermint, and a few of the others. Borage and Chevril are the only ones really showing up right now. I have put in some more seeds as of yesterday and we'll see if the next batch will appear.
I am zone 7a, so planting time is somewhere between now and next month...most seem to recommend planting next month (after mother's day), but I may go a little early as the plants seem ready. We'll see how that goes.
Well if nothing else, I need to get a tarp over the topsoil so it won't all drain away tomorrow. I'll add more in the next few days as to how the making of the gardens go.
This is an interesting time for me. I had big plans for this spring, but here I am too sick to do all those things, so I am instead going to start this blog. I do think this will be a great way to capture my initial attempts at organic gardening, so it is probably best that I can not continue to put together my raised beds. But let's catch up to today...
About 25 Mar, I had my Miracle Gro Organic potting soil, two trays of fifty peat pots, and had gotten my packets of organic seeds. I began filling each peat pot with the potting soil, and then set them up in the little greenhouse cases I had gotten from Home Depot. Shortly, they began growing. The majority of the seeds were from Southern Exposure, but I did have one package of Martha Stewart Organic Sunflowers. Ultimately, I ended up with four trays of fifty, with multiple veggies, herbs, and flowers for the Butterfly/Hummingbird garden I built last year. Some of these are of course Autumn's, and she is very excited about her contribution. Most started growing in very short time, some even outgrew their peat pots. Luckily my mom brought me some of my grandmother's pots to use, and the plants have pretty much soared in those. I just started hardening them to the outside climate a few days ago, and they are doing fantastic. It helps that I'm home because I can pay them so much attention.
I also had decided against tilling, and am instead utilizing the Lasagna Gardening strategy. This is in part due to the heavy clay soil I have in my yard. I ordered three raised beds (also from Home Depot), one a 4'x4', another 8'x8' (driven by my desire to do corn), and the third a ridiculously expensive but very pretty ornate one that resembles a flower when looked at from above. The topsoil mixed with compost arrived today. I have been trying to get the gardens put together, but alas, this illness didn't let me get as far as I'd like, so I am now resting from that. But once they are together, I'll put cardboard and newspaper down on the bottom of each garden bed. This is supposed to reduce the ability of weeds to pop up. I had hoped to add straw as well, but in my current state something had to give. So friends are coming to help me this Sunday to move the topsoil/compost mixture into each garden, as tomorrow it is supposed to rain heavily.
I have such a variety and so many are really doing well, so at this point I'll point out the ones not doing well, mostly herbs: thyme, oregano, feverfew, chamomile, peppermint, and a few of the others. Borage and Chevril are the only ones really showing up right now. I have put in some more seeds as of yesterday and we'll see if the next batch will appear.
I am zone 7a, so planting time is somewhere between now and next month...most seem to recommend planting next month (after mother's day), but I may go a little early as the plants seem ready. We'll see how that goes.
Well if nothing else, I need to get a tarp over the topsoil so it won't all drain away tomorrow. I'll add more in the next few days as to how the making of the gardens go.
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