I have to say I am rather glad I am trying to make the month count that is the least productive as far as effort required in the actual garden. I have spent way too long this week doing computer gardening and kitchen gardening for my liking. Having said that, the kitchen gardening is because of the garden. You have to process your produce or there is no point growing them. Some of the computer gardening funds the garden and is actually quite enjoyable so it has to be done. Some of the computer gardening is planning and research for future garden projects. For a future when we can get out and about and I can choose the plants and discover what items on the hardware store shelves may serve my purpose. Hopefully, there is not much longer to wait. And at the end of the day the garden doesn’t really need me that much and is coping very well on its own. Anything I do is really just fussing about.
However, I started a new thing today. I’m not very good at remembering to do some things and can be a bit inconsistent with certain chores. But while checking on the seedlings today I noticed my onion seedlings looked a little peaky. I need them to be big and strong for planting out next month, so I decided to give them a liquid feed. It was quick and easy. This prompted me to go into my office and mark on my calendar every second Friday between now and the end of the year and these days will now be known forever more as Feed Friday. I’ll have to do it now. Its on the calendar, staring down at me from the wall.
But as the garden got little more than a glance today, I thought I’d show you 5 things that really excited me as I wandered about.
Firstly… I have sunflowers coming! I know we are 3 weeks shy of winter, but when the birds scattered the seeds from the summer sunflowers, some seedlings popped up. I decided waste not want not and transplanted many of them into an orderly row along the fence and when more kept coming in the path I just left them. They won’t be there for long and there was nothing to lose!
My garlic is up! I only popped the cloves in on the 1st of May. This is extremely exciting. I shall tend them with care and keep a close eye out for the dreaded garlic rust. I will also feed them every 2nd Friday – on Feed Friday. It’s a thing.
I have peas nearly ready. I have really been a bit hit and miss with my peas lately because the get so buffered about by the weather that the rows are patchy and so I don’t get a significant harvest. But I will treat these sweet treats as a snack. I can see them from the office window, so they’ll be a constant reminder. Don’t tell the others… I’m not sharing.
I have strawberries?! Well this is unexpected. After the disaster of a season where I lost over 80% of my strawberry plants, which hurts just a little considering I gave away over 800 runners at the start of the season, the brave little souls who remain have decided to treat me to a little surprise. I hope it isn’t part of some kind of swan song.
And finally, here is another message from my wall, reminding me to get more out of my days. If I’m not careful my office will turn from a creative place of comfort and joy, to a guilt ridden cave of doom and gloom. But to be honest, that little prompt to “Do one more thing” has encouraged me to take the effort and find one more task, no matter how small, before I end my day and go back into the house with a smug satisfaction I’d done a good job and taken care of something that could have lingered on the list forever.
Come again soon – I don’t do computer gardening on the weekend so I may end up doing garden gardening.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
#MayMayCount
Sarah, I have missed your videos but totally understand that time is precious and editing and uploading videos are time consuming. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve never started making videos. I’m glad to see that you are well and still in the garden. Our season here in Nebraska is just opening up and tender summer plants will be heading out to the garden to be planted by the end of the week. The planted onions that I’ve started from seed seem to be thriving even with temperatures near freezing the last couple nights.
My area is starting to release the restrictions of quarantine by allowing restaurants to open with 50% capacity and reservation only. Barber shops and hair salons are open with appointment only to keep crowds down. Some are fearful that this will cause repercussions. Social distancing and masks are still required in most stores. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my gardens. I have my big Terra Nova Gardens; my backyard raised beds; and my backyard bucket patio garden. It actually has been a wonderful time for me with more time to be in the gardens. I’m by nature an introvert anyway so this really is my element.
I’m glad I found where you hang out these days. Have a great Fall day in the garden.
Nebraska Dave
Urban Farmer
Hi Dave. Onions really don’t mind the cold – they actually need the cold as part of their life cycle. I’ll be planting mine out in 6 weeks. I’m sure yours will be fabulous. We have cautiously opened up from lockdown today so we shall see how that goes. It is nice to have a garden to retreat too in these strange times. Stay safe. Cheers Sarah : o)