It’s too rainy.
I started turning soil over back in Mid March before the torrential rains set in. I managed to carve out 6 sections in a different layout than last year. This is so that I can “rotate” crops without really thinking about it too much. I am also trying to account for a big walnut tree that will leaf out sometime in May and start to create too much shade for most seeds to germinate.
I have such a little tiny space to garden in, but I jealously guard every inch of it. I laugh about this space too. In my mind, the first year I gardened here was to be the last, as I intended to have a new garden shed in this spot “within the year”. Three years later I am still turning the soil, with no shed nor even possible shed in sight.
The kids have high hopes for what they will plant. Zephyr wants carrots (hard!), beets (easy!), and bless his soul, brussel sprouts. I hope those don’t get demolished by aphids. I had better put in my order for beneficial nematodes right now!
Francis wants lettuce, lemon cucumbers and sugar snap peas. The peas are in on the trellis you see on the back. The boat owner is not so sure of me fencing him in, but his kid likes the sweet peas as much as mine do, so I figured it would be okay.
I’m growing all the stuff that the rest of the family SHOULD eat, but maybe no one would actually choose to eat: kale, spinach, swiss chard, and various squash family things. Yes, I am going to pack it all in there. Just watch me. And then when it is finally sunny out, I will poke tomatoes in too. Ha!
I am grateful that the kids are excited about the garden. I am SOOOOO grateful that they actually eat vegetables. My parents have this amazing thing called a TV, (that’s short for television), and it projects stories, like in moving pictures! And there is sound too! Anyway, while I was out visiting, I watched this program called “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” and there was this super depressing part where he visited a 1st grade classroom and showed kids various vegetables and they didn’t know the names to ANY of them. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I was so depressed after that, even though I know that my own children, even the proto-lingual one, know the names to most all of their vegetables, maybe except the kohlorabi.
7 Comments, Comment or Ping
For some reason I was inspired to purchase seeds for kale and radish several months ago. Then I remembered that I really dislike kale and radish, but they are growing so well. I will have to learn to eat them.
April 5th, 2010
I can’t say much about radish, because I sort of dislike it too, but I have recently discovered really good things to do with kale. 1) roast in olive oil until crispy. 2) toss with sunflower seeds and coat in a vinegarette of rice vinegar & walnut oil, spices and garlic. Yum!
April 5th, 2010
Wait, those are TWO DIFFERENT things to do, not things to do in that order.
April 5th, 2010
I love that your options basically involve coving the kale in various oils. Cover me in oil and I would probably taste good too.
April 5th, 2010
Oh, I saw that show! The kids on that show didn’t even know how to use forks either! I have a kid who knows what the veggies are, but that doesn’t help her eat them. Ugh!
April 6th, 2010
Kale is awesome! Ours is really tender now. The young leaves only need to be steamed for a few minutes to be sweet & yummy. Love it! Our garden soil is light, and it doesn’t rain much in our area, so I’m already watering the seeds I put in last weekend. (who’d of thought I’d ever like turnips, but they’re so easy to grow, who couldn’t love them?)
April 8th, 2010
Glad to finally catch up on your blog, Ingrid. I love it. Plant garlic near anything that tends to get aphids and it won’t. Aphids don’t like garlic.
April 17th, 2010
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