At Last

 A typical chilly, snowy morning here in Reno.

The garden won't be ready for planting for another two months, but....

...the greenhouse is already growing!

hundreds of seeds in the soil

 9 lettuce starts,

27 radishes,

many, many, arugula too

After waiting so long, it's a reality.

Scarlet Runner Beans

One of our successes in the garden this year--scarlet runner beans.They grew up the tepees with gorgeous flowers that the hummingbirds love. Apparently you can eat the young green beans, but we never did. Once they dried on the vine, I opened a pod and found these shiny black and pink beans. 

This shows the progression of just off-the-vine, semi-dry, and very dry. I will save some of them for planting next year and the rest go in a big pot.

Welcome to My Garden

It is the Grand Unveiling of this state-of-the-art vegetable garden. It's been my dream for so long, I have to pinch myself every once in awhile to believe that it's real. Brad, and especially Cameron, worked endlessly to make it just right.

The fence is rock solid, concreted into the ground with heavy-duty 4x4 posts. Two gates.1/2 inch mesh (almost) all the way round. The wire mesh goes 8 inches below ground to keep the rabbits out. After all, we did this whole thing so the rabbits wouldn't have to die if I caught them eating my veggies.

Some of the raised boxes were in last year and we built a few more this spring. Now we have ten. The soil is an even mixture of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite. They have a complete automatic watering system. In the last week we have filling them with strawberries, asparagus, potatoes, tomatoes, chard, lettuce, carrots, beets, and more.

Around the inside edge I planted peas to climb up the mesh--shelling peas, snap peas, snow peas, sweet peas, and pea shoots. Can you guess my favorite vegetable?  Inside that, I planted a line of edible flowers, but I ran out of flowers so I added lots of herb seeds like oregano, basil, and thyme to blend in with the flowers.

As you can see from the first photo, we still have snow around here. Spring weather in Reno is completely unpredictable 85 degrees one day, 34 degrees the next day. So we have hoops with insulated blankets for nighttime (and some times daytime) coverage. The green Wall O' Water tepees are a new addition. Supposedly, you can put tomatoes out two months before your last frost date. With such a short growing season, that is a real boon for us. The water absorbs the heat of the day and radiants out to the plant at night.

The fence doesn't quite make it all the way around the garden yet; that's because we are going to build a greenhouse at the north end. For now I have two big wicker chairs there, so I can gaze at the plants. I have big dreams for that trellis on the walkway too. I haven't decided on clematis, roses, honeysuckle, or something else yet, but it's going to be gorgeous some day....

Fall Protection

Brad made these mini greenhouses over the planter beds to extend the crop.

In some of the boxes he had put a wider pipe attached to the inside and it's quite easy to bend the flexible PVC pipes to slide right in.

Around the tomatoes, he used rebar pounded into the ground and slid the pipes over that.

Some clear plastic and clamps and they're done ~ ready to save our plants from the frost we got last night ~ even though it's still only September.

When I picked a bell pepper out of one of these yesterday it was so sweetly warm, like a fresh laid egg, I had to run in the house with it so Brad could feel it too.

Garden Jewels

Beets! there can't be anything better than a sweet beet fresh from the garden. Our favorite way to eat them is to roast them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. After they cool, add toasted walnuts, feta, and mint. Yummy.

Garden Update

While we haven't gotten a lot of actual produce from our garden, it is still a source of endless joy for me. Every morning I am out watering, deadheading, composting. Brad and I hold hands as we take an evening stroll to see what's coming in. We share the highs and the lows together. We were both thrilled to find a teeny, tiny head of broccoli yesterday. As you've heard so many times, the tomatoes taste better from your own garden, and it's true, they really do. We are now parents to new raspberry and currant bushes that my mother gave us. The cucumbers are the only thing that has been really productive, but we've eaten some green beans, and snap peas, and onions, and spinach and lettuce.

Compost, Part II

After you've saved your scraps, rolled them around, and let them ferment for awhile, you'll have a dark rich mix of done compost and larger chunks of not-yet-ready stuff. You need to sift out the not-ready pieces.

I got 1/4 inch hardtack from the hardware store. Unrolled it over a wheelbarrow and clipped it down with these large clips. Shoveled the dark stuff over the top and rubbed it down. The bigger bits were thrown onto a plastic tarp. It took me about 15 minutes to do the whole trash can full and I swear--it did not stink!

Now it needs to cure out in the sun for a few days, then I can start spreading it around. One of the best things to do with compost is make a "tea." Soak a cup of compost in a 5 gallon bucket of water for a week. Then sprinkle it around your garden. Your plants are going to love you.

The Way We Garden Now

Honestly, I love this little book from Katherine Whiteside. It's so earthy, and happy, and real. It is one of the books that I got for only $1 from abebooks.com.

It's the handdrawn illustration that suck you in. And the remarkable easy projects. Life doesn't have to be hard and neither does gardening. She lets you know the best way to do get things accomplished in the garden and exactly why. Each chapter starts with the phrase, "What's the payoff?"

Tons of info here about compost, attracting birds, growing veggies, planting trees, and making your garden beautiful. I initially got this as a library book, but decided that it has so much useful information that I will return to it over and over, so I had to buy it for myself.

Quick Hint Tuesday

Thinning the Garden--we are up to the point where most of the garden has emerged and now we need to thin it. The best way to do that is with a pair of scissors, just snip off the stem of the unneeded plants. That way you don't disturb the soil of the plants that you want to grow big and strong.

Yahoo Notes--I use My Yahoo as my homepage. It's handy because it has a calendar, a calculator, the weather report, in addition to the mail and news. But now I've added Note to Self for a long running list of things that I want to do. I titled it Making Life Better and I have sections for projects, garden, and blog ideas.

Spinach--spinach goes in practical everything we eat now. Quiche! Chicken in puff pastry! Pizza! BLT? No BST! Guests for dinner--spinach/strawberry salad! We keep buying those big boxes of organic spinach, use it up and then have to buy another one.

Quick Hints Tuesday

Floating flowers--everywhere you go in Thailand there are pools of water with flowers floating in them. I wanted to re-create that feel with a planter in my garden. Brad sealed the hole with silicone and then I sprayed it with a can of Thompson's Water Seal twice.

Sun tea covers--We drink a lot of iced tea around here, so I make it right in the pitcher on the back deck. Sometimes I have several going at the same time. I keep little squares of cheesecloth wrapped in string in a drawer. I lay the cheesecloth over the top of the pitcher and tie it off with the string to keep the bugs out.

Sharpie in the pantry--always have a Sharpie in the pantry to mark the date on any new items that go on the shelves or into the frig or freezer.

Rock Markers--I couldn't find any plant markers for our veggie garden, so I just picked up small flattish rocks (we have plenty of those) and wrote the type of plant on it with a Sharpie. For flowers I just drew a little flower. I need to varnish over the top, so they won't disappear.

Little notebooks--it was an a-ha moment when I saw these easy little notebooks on The Farm Chicks. Just use computer paper and a piece of leftover scrapbook paper (if you want a cover). They sewed the binding of theirs, but I don't have a sewing machine, so I stapled mine. It worked fine.

Quick Hint Tuesday

Beets!!--slice beets paper thin (use a mandolin if you have one {thanks, Amy}), put in a jar with 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns, and a split Thai chili if you like it spicy. Heat 1 cup of rice vinegar with 1/4 sugar to a boil and pour over the beets. Cool. They will last a month in the fridge. I found this in Martha Stewart Living (I think). I used golden beets because the don't run.

Melatonin--The pharmacist told us to use melatonin to help us sleep. If I toss and turn for two nights, I take 1mg around 8PM on the third night. Works like a charm. It's a completely natural human hormone, so it can't hurt you. It worked for Brad too.

Compost in a garbage can--I bought a big black garbage can, drilled 10 holes in the bottom, got a bungee cord to hold the lid on tight. Filled it with leaves, a bag of aged manure, kitchen scraps, and a few shakes of Dr. Earth Compost Starter. Every other day or so, I add the new scraps, and roll it around on the ground. I am astonished at how fast it has turned into beautiful, black soil. I might have to start another one.

Sit Among Your Flowers

Getting down low, eye-to-eye with your beauties, literally changes your perspective. Get a chair or a blanket and pull up as close as you practically can. By settling in comfortably you will have time to not only enjoy this world close up, but see how it works more thoroughly. You can watch a honeybee gather pollen, flitting from one blossom to the next. You'll notice any infestations that need attention. You'll be thrilled to see minute buds just starting to form on the tomatoes, imagining how good they'll taste a month from now. You'll inhale the mint and basil at nose level. The whole world looks different at that angle.

Compare photos taken looking down on the plants and looking directly at them. See how much different they appear (at the same camera settings). The ones on the right are distant and harsh, the left ones are soft and enjoyable. Even without a camera, your eyes will do the same thing.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Sweet Pea Spread--if you love peas, this is a real treat. Defrost frozen peas, whirl in a food processor with a little garlic, lemon juice, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Slather it on thick bread, with ham and cheese if you want, for a wonderful sandwich. Mine came out a little more garlicy than I expected, so next time I am going to use fresh basil instead.

Lawn Patch--it's so easy to repair missing spots in your lawn. This stuff has seed, fertilizer, and mulch all incorporated. The base is recycled newspaper (you can see words once-in-awhile). you're supposed to water it twice a day, but in Nevada that means 4-5 times a day. I live with a hose in my hand.

Dr. Earth--all natural, organic supplements for the garden with live probiotics (like yogurt for the garden). I have about 5 different kinds now. I also have the compost starter to help break down the nasty stuff and turn it into black gold.

Cookie Jar for kitchen scraps--I am experimenting with composting for the first time. At the thrift store, I found a plain white cookie jar with white basket weave pattern and a tight lid. It has a place right next to the trash can for saving all the left over fruits, veggies, tea bags, egg shells, etc.

Yogi Teas--have you seen these? All natural with health-providing properties. They have them for all types of solutions, such as cold relief, joint comfort, detox, women's cycles, sleep aid and relaxation.

What Plants Work in Your Garden?

After three years of threatening to do it, I finally got the center island planted! Thanks to Brad for all the irrigation lines and Justin for the hauling the rocks and dirt and helping me plant.

I spent the three years thinking about the garden. There are so many requirements here. The plants must be drought-tolerant, bunny-resistant, frost-proof. The flower colors must combine well (pinks, purples, blues, and silver).

This is what I've planted so far: dianthus (sweet william), lemon thyme, delphinium, dogwood, veronica, salvia, nepeta (catmint), columbine, guara, peony, bleeding heart, cranesbill, baspista, artemesia.

This is what I still want: lavendar, agastache, allium, iris, soapwort, echinacea, buddleia, penstemon.

Now that the basics are set, I expect that this will be a continuing, evolving process. I am excited about the possibilities.

Do you have any plants that are fantastic in your garden? Share some ideas with us.

Square Foot Gardening

photo from squarefootgardening.com

What luck! just as Brad finished building the garden boxes and filling them with high quality potting mix, I discovered that the originator of Square Foot Gardening, Mel Bartholomew, would be giving a lecture at our local nursery. Almost 30 years ago as a civil engineer and efficiency expert, he realized that gardening can be quick and simple--no digging, no weeding, little watering, cost effective--amazing!

I knew vaguely about intensive gardening, but wanted to know exactly what to plant, how much, where & when. It was so easy once he explained the process. Basically, build a 4x4 box that holds 16 square feet of high quality potting mix with compost, vermiculite, and peat moss, 6 inches deep. No local dirt means no weed seeds. No fertilizers needed. No pesticides. All 16 squares are filled with seeds, depending on the mature size of the plant. Water only by hand with a cup of sun-warmed water.

This is pure genius--check out the website. Buy the book. Start a garden.

Earth Day Love

Went seed shopping today!

The Back Yard

I did a bit of a walkabout in the backyard today. You might find this hard to believe, but I rarely go back there at all. It is completely self-sufficient, self-watering, no weeds, so there is little reason for me to journey into the far reaches. The previous owner did us a priceless favor by planting trees and bushes that have matured into a beautiful landscape. There are nooks and crannies everywhere.

Check this out: a small greenhouse, a little bridge over a rock "stream," a child's playset (hand built by the previous owner), a basketball court (where we park the RV), a workshop/storage area, another storage shed, enough room to easily park 10 cars (we keep three back there, two more in the garage), a shady hammock nook, the little side garden with roses, honeysuckle, and a wisteria covered arbor (over a hot tub, currently poising as our bed), apple & pear trees, a defunct veggie garden (the trees grew too shady), probably 20 or more pine trees, an abundance of other trees and bushes, a semi-terraced hillside, three glorious redwoods, and the prettiest blue spruce you ever saw. All of this was here before we bought the house. And most of it can't even be seen from the house.

We have added our improvements, the new deck, the lawn, and landscaping close to the house. But I'm looking around and feeling like there are some things we could do to make it so much better. Brad is threating to take the playset out and make that the vegetable garden, since it's the only place that gets real sun. The landscaping that we did is filling in beautifully, but now I can see where we need to add some things. The little side area needs those rocks removed and some sort of ground cover, more plants. Oh, and a tree in the corner.

While I am quite good at knowing what I want, I am not so good at actually doing the phyical labor and neither is Brad. I think I will have to hire a landscape company to get it where I want it. At least, I'm thinking about it.