Tuesday, June 13, 2006

The Art of Growing Your Own Food - Spring

The only constant in gardening is that no year is ever the same. Food growing can be finicky and it is not just he weather, but the wildlife you have to watch for.

This year while planting the garden there was so much I forgot, that's why this year I will record our activities.

April/May
April was mild and the heat was upon us quite early. There was a lot of rain so the soil was moist enough to give the plants a good start.

Tomatoes (Roma 38, beefsteak 20, 3 Sweet 100s)
We planted the tomatoes late in teh second week of April, though most wait til the end of April. Put a 2 inch collar of tin foil around the stem to fend off the pests and cover cages with clear plastic to protect from frost and keep warm. Pick anya nd all colorado potato beetles that may be present. Place marigolds around veggies to keep vermin away.

This year we planted (from seed):
Beets, carrots, spinach , swiss chard, leeks, spinach, lettuce (mesclun), Green beans, yellow beans, peas, butternut squah, acorn squash, and small yellow squash.

Eggplants (we got there from Ritchie cause rona sold out. We have 10 eggplants. 20 Peppers. While this year we did not cover hte peppers, many did well, should definaltey cover for next year if we put them in early.

DO not use fertilizers...they destroy the health organisms.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Their secrets and lives rolled into my bones
a persistent ache of unknown origin
a limp in this life before me

Their loneliness, their struggles
their hands not held and held too tightly
their loss and fear swelled in their bellies
bursting

Their searching extends through my fingers
and their wisdom lies deep in my gut
guiding me, shaping me and turning me
into the next layer of who we will become.