Wrap up for the season

So, the summary of this summer's experiments: Success! Considering we didn't plant until mid-July, when most gardens are supposed to be knee-high already, we got tall sunflowers, basketball-sized pumpkins (but green ones), we came really close to getting mature heads of corn, the lettuce is flourishing, we have a bag full of green cherry tomatoes we're hoping will ripen, the broccoli, carrots and parsnips are growing. We learned a lot ... like sunlight is a must. I'm going to have to find shade plants for under the trees, because crops get a good start, and then kind of lose their steam in the shade of our trees -- especially with this year's rather cool weather. My flower beds were a TOTAL success -- and now I know not to plant beet and onion starts in one clump.

So, many lessons learned. I'm looking forward to harvesting some root crops and lettuce throughout the winter, and can't wait to get a fresh, less stupid start one "take 2" this spring ...

Gardening 102 ... progress at last!

I've been a bad, bad blog updater this past month. But somewhere in between birthdays and weddings and deaths, we actually got some stuff done. Unfortunately for those of you reading this blog, I have not yet taken the time to figure out how to link photos to this blog. And I know it's not hard, I just haven't tried yet. Someday ...

But on to the advances in my yard arena ...

I HAVE A RAISED GARDEN BED IN THE BACK CORNER OF MY YARD. And yes, I was yelling just there. A dream I pontificated about months ago has become a reality, if perhaps a bit later than I'd hoped. Prodded by our fairy gardenmother and her ability to find lots of free things and give us kind hints, she prodded my darling husband into constructing a fence around said back corner with the plan of a raised bed and dumping in lots of soil. Fence is up, poles stuck in concrete, and chainlink surrounds -- except where the gate is, but I don't expect perfection. At least not yet. A bit after the Fourth I called in to TAGRO for a giant load of potting soil, which was dumped into said area ... and after I hauled buckets and buckets and buckets of the stuff around the rest of my yard to flower beds in the front, side and back yards to use as cover -- after sweating and sweating and sweating in the hot, hot, hot days of summer -- well, then we planted. We planted VERY late, in the heat of summer, and then it rained ... hard ... for the following week. And then got hot again. If there was any hope for us getting anything out of these seedlings, this was it. After one week, things had popped out of the ground. After two and three weeks, we had some hearty plants back there ... and the tomato and melon starts are flowering nicely ... and they all just keep getting bigger. I'd had the seeds for months if not years, so if no "fruit" (we planted corn, sunflowers, pumpkins, carrots and a couple other things) pops up, I'll consider it training for next year. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the view. That corner had sat fallow for the entire five years we'd lived her, other than weeds and brambles, and not it's a garden.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS GARDENING SEASON (so far):

• I've learned that when you buy onion and beet seedlings at the store, that you're supposed to SEPARATE them when you plant them. Not plant what you were given in a big clump. Oops. Lesson learned. Which is the point of my this year's gardening. So my failure is still a success. So there!
• If you're going to plant herbs, plant ones you use a lot or don't bother, because if you don't pick them a lot they go to flower and apparently aren't as good. At least that was our cilantro. ;(
• You need to keep on top of spinach, too.
• Kids who won't eat fresh greens just might eat them out of the garden. Peas, too.
• Just when you give up hope on a zucchini plant, it springs into action.
• I'm sure I'll think of more ...

MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS YEAR'S GARDENING: Next year I'll be better.

Where did all the raccoons go?

As I was basking in the fact that my grass-seed-and-TAGRO mix has grown lush lawn where the torn up raccoon-ransacked portions of my yard used to be, I looked around at my neighbors' recently-replaced-by-ASARCO-lawns and realized something.

Their lawns are perfect. I do not see them out stomping squares of sod back down. They do not tear their hair out researching raccoon deterrents. They're blissfully basking in the perfect grass greenness, the newness of it all. Watering here and there and enjoying their fresh start.

And I realize, I haven't seen a raccoon in awhile.

So I ask, where'd they go?

I was NOT imagining them ...

A chat with a rose ...

So, we came home from something or other the other day, and Eddie noticed that "his" roses weren't as big as his sister's rose. (Basically, one of hers had bloomed and his were still buds.)

These are roses we bought at stupid-big-box store years ago. Just roots, really, and the one Eddie picked out got damaged the first year. I don't remember if it was while I was planting or after or what, but it's never been as bloomy as the one Abby picked out. So when he got out of the car to see one of hers blooming big, and his just (finally) starting to thrive (thank you TAGRO), he was upset. We explained that his were coming, and all sorts of things. But he was still upset.

We, I thought, all went inside. After a little bit, we look around. Where's Eddie? We call his name, nothing. Shout downstairs, nothing. Shout out the back door, nothing. I finally walk out the front door and spot Eddie still standing on the sidewalk, in front of his rose.

"Eddie, whattaya doin'?"

"Talking to my rose. To help it grow."

Wow.

We've joined the club! Swallowed the pill!

I think my household may have entered the gardener nerd club this week. The VERY entry level club, but the club nonetheless ... why, you ask? Because we actually traded plant starts with a neighbor yesterday. My husband has been taking seeds from things and planting them in (what else) TAGRO Potting Soil. We have mini orange trees, melons and I'm sure other things sprouting in random containers throughout the house. So yesterday one of our neighbors came over with some volunteer tomato starts from her garden and walked home with some of our melon starts. We're excited to discover what kind of tomatoes we'll get, as we've been informed that while she's pretty certain they're some variety of cherry tomato, they could be yellow pear, plum, or who knows what type. The kids are happy that there will be another edible in the garden.

OTHER UPDATES:

I found out why the kids didn't like the cilantro leaves so much the other day ... ours grew big and flowered, and apparently when they go to seed the leaves turn bitter. The key to cilantro is to use it use it use it. So perhaps I planted too much ... because cilantro is a once in awhile thing. So perhaps more spinach and mint, less cilantro.

My random seed spreading in one flower bed is finally starting to show signs of life. Ok, it's shown signs of life for awhile, but the flowers and shade plants I scattered are sprouting up. I'm anxious to see color emerge ...

Corner garden coming ...

So, apparently my corner veggie garden in the sun won't be a dream for long ... the lovely husband has dug holes for the fence! A fence, you ask? Well, the deer wander our neighborhood hunting for roses, the raccoons are nothing but trouble, the cats like to find litter-box worthy dirt, and I don't EVEN want to know what other kind of trouble my future veggie garden could get into if unprotected. So when my neighbor said fence, I did not flinch. So -- fence posts dug. Cement about to be bought. TAGRO Potting Soil about to be ordered, and many more EDIBLE VEGGIES about to be planted. Woo hoo! And it's only June 1. Apparently my fantasies ... at least some ... just might be coming true this year ... :)

Incredible, Edible ... PLANTS!

My husband told the kids today which plants in my garden are edible. The chocolate mint plan, the cilantro and the spinach. And apparently my kids were hungry. After determining that the cilantro's not so great just straight, they went around munching leaves of mint and spinach the rest of the afternoon. Seriously. Plucking leaves off the plants and eating them, and claiming to enjoy them. With E, this doesn't surprise me so much. He likes to eat onions raw and has been known to push his hot dog aside and take someone's cast off burger fixings, chomping on onions like fries and rolling up lettuce and chomping on it like a carrot. But the eldest? She's known for not touching anything green and leafy. Broccoli, yes, but SPINACH? Spinach NOT covered in Ranch dressing? Wow. She just monched on it. And the neighbor girl came over, saw what they were up to, and was like "I'm hungry ..." So, apparently the way to get your kids to each their veggies is to randomly grow them, not make a big deal out of it, then tell them they're edible ... whoah. I need to get to work planting the rest of my veggies ... fast. More incentive for a greenhouse I suppose.