Indoor girl turned gardener
We have spent more time in and around our garden this spring and summer than ever before.
And it's showing.
Weed removal. A direct consequence of sin, so by definition it can in no way be pleasant. My hoe and me with our love/hate relationship have strengthened our bond and my triceps this year, and with the rhythmic pounding of steel to earth I chant curses against Eve. Though as the hard work has started paying off in both beauty and bounty, amid my backbreaking work I find myself noticing strategically-placed bits of shade and perfectly-timed breezes, and slowly the curses to Eve become praises to the Provider.
In Eve's defense, and because I do not have a hoe in my hand right now, I would have screwed it up too. There's a good reason the devil used food to tempt a woman.
Anyhow, the garden is growing fairly spectacularly and lessons are being learned. In weed removal and gratitude. In off-season prep and humility. In growing style, in seed placement, and in the satisfaction of a job well done.
Good move #1: plowing in late winter. Made such, such a difference in reducing the amount of grass growing up around the plants. It is painfully hard to hoe grass up. So painful that I have declared that if we ever miss plowing in late winter, we should just skip the garden altogether that year.
Good move #2: planting on time. For whatever reason, the last several years we haven't been able to plant until May. We planted in early April this year, and the seedlings benefited greatly from all of April's rain. Of course another upside to that is filling our bellies with homegrown veggies by mid-June.
Good move #3: potatoes and onions in the sandiest soil. Our garden has soil zones ranging from red clay, to gray clay, to gray sand, to rich brown powder. No clue why that is, but we embrace it nonetheless. The potatoes and onions are thriving in that gray sand, and it will take every bit of restraint I have to wait until summer's end to pull those guys up.
Good move #4: staking the cucumbers. This one came from us growing tired of having to poke around the cucumber plants from a distance with a hoe to check for slitherers before reaching in to snatch up the deliciousness. And thank you, interweb, for the eighteen bajillion tutorials. Not only are the vines absolutely gorgeous crawling up the stakes, but it is easier to see the cucumbers so they can be picked before they start looking like watermelons. Next year I'd love to try a netting fence for the plants to climb instead of stakes. Either way, from now on, cucumbers grow vertical here.
Good move #5: checking often. Of course we don't get in on Sundays, but every day or two, someone can be found strolling around the garden, looking for whatever is ready. And when it's ready, it gets picked and dealt with. And when I say dealt with, I mean devoured as quickly as possible. Or in the case of our bumper crops of beans and corn, preserved for the winter.
Can't all be good moves, though. We're learning from our mistakes as well.
Bad move #1: planting too close to the electric fence. We've had to move the fence in the squash corner at least three times, I guess just underestimating how big the plants would get. And they're biguns too - about four feet in diameter.
Bad move #2: cabbage ignorance. It's our first year planting cabbage, and when the baby sprouts sprang up and began growing perfectly, we patted ourselves on the back and went back to weeding. Then the bugs came and turned those huge, beautiful cabbage leaves into antique lace. Then we let the heads get too big, and in the process of trying to salvage one or two, found worms. Vomitous. Must learn to better care for cabbage.
Bad move #3: tomato grass-patch. The tomatoes were planted in the newest section of garden, which understandably still has grass lurking down deep since it's only been plowed once. Now while housing thriving plants absolutely loaded down with fruit, inside each tomato cage is also a small hay field. Next year's plan would be to paper and mulch inside the tomato cages. Won't be perfect, but will help. A lot.
So there you have it. The good and bad of this year's garden.
We praise the Lord for sending summer showers and storms, and that we have only had to use creek water once.
And of course, we praise Him for providing. Always providing. The corn, potatoes, and onions won't be ready for a while, but we are feasting on cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, and squash as they come in. Plus we have canned over 30 quarts of beans so far.
It's a beautiful thing.
Says the indoor girl.
And it's showing.
Weed removal. A direct consequence of sin, so by definition it can in no way be pleasant. My hoe and me with our love/hate relationship have strengthened our bond and my triceps this year, and with the rhythmic pounding of steel to earth I chant curses against Eve. Though as the hard work has started paying off in both beauty and bounty, amid my backbreaking work I find myself noticing strategically-placed bits of shade and perfectly-timed breezes, and slowly the curses to Eve become praises to the Provider.
In Eve's defense, and because I do not have a hoe in my hand right now, I would have screwed it up too. There's a good reason the devil used food to tempt a woman.
Anyhow, the garden is growing fairly spectacularly and lessons are being learned. In weed removal and gratitude. In off-season prep and humility. In growing style, in seed placement, and in the satisfaction of a job well done.
Good move #1: plowing in late winter. Made such, such a difference in reducing the amount of grass growing up around the plants. It is painfully hard to hoe grass up. So painful that I have declared that if we ever miss plowing in late winter, we should just skip the garden altogether that year.
Good move #2: planting on time. For whatever reason, the last several years we haven't been able to plant until May. We planted in early April this year, and the seedlings benefited greatly from all of April's rain. Of course another upside to that is filling our bellies with homegrown veggies by mid-June.
Good move #3: potatoes and onions in the sandiest soil. Our garden has soil zones ranging from red clay, to gray clay, to gray sand, to rich brown powder. No clue why that is, but we embrace it nonetheless. The potatoes and onions are thriving in that gray sand, and it will take every bit of restraint I have to wait until summer's end to pull those guys up.
Good move #4: staking the cucumbers. This one came from us growing tired of having to poke around the cucumber plants from a distance with a hoe to check for slitherers before reaching in to snatch up the deliciousness. And thank you, interweb, for the eighteen bajillion tutorials. Not only are the vines absolutely gorgeous crawling up the stakes, but it is easier to see the cucumbers so they can be picked before they start looking like watermelons. Next year I'd love to try a netting fence for the plants to climb instead of stakes. Either way, from now on, cucumbers grow vertical here.
Good move #5: checking often. Of course we don't get in on Sundays, but every day or two, someone can be found strolling around the garden, looking for whatever is ready. And when it's ready, it gets picked and dealt with. And when I say dealt with, I mean devoured as quickly as possible. Or in the case of our bumper crops of beans and corn, preserved for the winter.
Can't all be good moves, though. We're learning from our mistakes as well.
Bad move #1: planting too close to the electric fence. We've had to move the fence in the squash corner at least three times, I guess just underestimating how big the plants would get. And they're biguns too - about four feet in diameter.
Bad move #2: cabbage ignorance. It's our first year planting cabbage, and when the baby sprouts sprang up and began growing perfectly, we patted ourselves on the back and went back to weeding. Then the bugs came and turned those huge, beautiful cabbage leaves into antique lace. Then we let the heads get too big, and in the process of trying to salvage one or two, found worms. Vomitous. Must learn to better care for cabbage.
Bad move #3: tomato grass-patch. The tomatoes were planted in the newest section of garden, which understandably still has grass lurking down deep since it's only been plowed once. Now while housing thriving plants absolutely loaded down with fruit, inside each tomato cage is also a small hay field. Next year's plan would be to paper and mulch inside the tomato cages. Won't be perfect, but will help. A lot.
So there you have it. The good and bad of this year's garden.
We praise the Lord for sending summer showers and storms, and that we have only had to use creek water once.
And of course, we praise Him for providing. Always providing. The corn, potatoes, and onions won't be ready for a while, but we are feasting on cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, and squash as they come in. Plus we have canned over 30 quarts of beans so far.
It's a beautiful thing.
Says the indoor girl.
Comments