Not So Secret Garden

Bathroom greenhouse

Today's post is about "'leadership'". Just kidding, it's actually about one of our family group projects, gardening. Our gardening exploits so far this spring have come in a variety of phases, from Dad creating herb planters out old cement pipes; to my sister planting the garden with plants Mom got from the hardware store, to my other sister helping me plant some seeds. So far everyone has found some time to play in the dirt.

Cement her planter

The initial surge in gardening was partly boredom, partly because one of my sisters is taking plant science, and partly irritation that grocery stores were running out of food. In other words we were skirting the border that leads too crazy prepper territory. You needn't fear though, since I spearheaded half the effort after the initial surge, the momentum has died down.

Proof the seedlings were once happy

The seeds which started out strong growing in our bathroom (it was cold outside, ok), have started to droop and look pathetic as they hold out hope they will be planted soon. However all is not lost, the corn did get put in the ground recently, as did the beans. The reason the rest of the baby plants haven't made it to the garden is that we do not enough space on the current drip line. Hopefully we'll remedy this soon and plant the tender shoots before they kick the bucket. While I hate seeing work go to waste, (yes, I know it's the reoccurring state of my garden) we have tons of seeds we can replant with. Apparently I have this habit of buying more seeds before using the ones I already had.

I have a problem...

Moving on from my charming quirks, my "plan" is to plant what we have and then see where and what else we might be able to grow. The coming weeks will show how the transplanting went an if any more of our baby plants made it to the garden before giving up the ghost.

The Challenge Continues

The plot thickens

It's my fourth summer gardening, assuming I'm counting right. Summer #1 was The Experiment or The Small Patch; summer #2 The Hose, summer #3 The Weed* Patch, and now summer #4 Legit. Ok not really but I can't give everything away at once.

My first summer I tried a little sprinkler, but it didn't work quite right so I switched to flooding small ditches. It worked alright but took a long time and didn't cover things well.

The next summer I think is when I got a perforated hose from ACE thinking I'd be able to wind it around the plants and it would work great. I don't really remember much of this summer, except this might be the year Leila helped me with some of the cultivating.

Last summer I used the hose again, but this time I decided to a) expand the garden; b) switch up where I planted things, c) plant things I'd never grown before and were completely foreign, d) try to make some sort of rows or mounds or something depending on the plant.

What I learned, broccoli is surprisingly hearty, lettuce grows ok but get's bitter when too big and the arugula or whatever that was grows like a weed. Spreads like a weed to, but boy does that stuff survive. End result up close the garden looked like a patch of weeds. (Aunt Judy maintains it looked good from the road.)

Which brings us to this year. The main problem with past years is my watering techniques left much to be desired. On the other hand, why spend money on a whim that won't be kept up. But this year I decided it was time, it was time to invest and do this gardening thing right. So I headed to Hilmar Lumber (on a free flower Wed of course) and asked how much 120ish feet of drip line would be.

Of course everyone assumed it was for my Dad, but I proudly said, nope it's for my garden. I then spent a long time debating the best way to set things up and connect everything, but in the end settled for a basic drip line, hose, faucet version. (Let's just say my alternate version included pvc and valves. Someday...) The most trying part was making holes and inserting the drippers. Your thumbs get sore after a while. But I endured and with a little help from my sister Heidi, everything got put together.

But that wasn't the only change, oh no. I also decided to expand the garden making it the biggest it's ever been. (In case you didn't notice in first picture.) Meaning, I was back in hardpan with a shovel. But why quit when you're ahead? I also decided to make four long rows so everything could be neat and orderly. And so I could know exactly where everything was.

How does my garden grow

In the past I've tried seed starters in the house. They don't work for me. If plants do grow they tend to be wimpy when I plant them and die anyway. I have more luck going straight to the soil and this year's my best ever for seeds actually growing.

It's amazing how much better a little order and organization can make things. I mean;

1) I know what's where.
2) It's almost impossible to flood the garden washing seeds every which way and creating more weeds.
3) The row's created looser soil even in the hardpan areas. (Although as Aunt Judy pointed out, the carrots may need more sand, we'll see.)

4) The drip is keeping the soil from drying like cement.
5) It's easier to tell a weed from a plant.

Anyway, that's why this year's garden is Legit or The Year of the Drip Line. So far we've done a pretty good job keeping the weeds down too. The dry rows definitely cut down on the "weed carefully" areas which helps A LOT.

Now, the next thing I need to learn is to actually eat what I grow...

To me the garden is an ironic mystery. I have no idea how I've been consistent enough to do this for four years straight. Every year when it's time to shovel I seriously doubt a garden will be planted. And yet somehow, every year it gets done. I wonder how long this strange trend will run. I suppose only time will tell.

If you're in the area, and want some garden fresh something feel free to stop by. If you're unsure which house is mine, just look for the garden out back. At the rate it's growing you can't miss it.

*By weed I mean a plant growing where you don't want it. Not the grass that's not a lawn nonsense.

Lifeblood

Almond - ah-muh nd,

noun 

1. the nutlike kernel of the fruit of either two trees, Prunus dulcis (sweet almond) or P. dulicis amara (bitter almond) which grow in warm temperate regiouns. 

2. the tree itself 

January is almost gone and I have posted nothing in this fabulous new year. “Fabulous?” I hear you ask, a raised eyebrow emphasizing the question mark. “Fabulous.” I reply flatly.  The new year is a time for new beginnings and hope. Granted I don’t always think this, some years it seems to be more of a reminder of never ending drudgery and time passing by waaay to swiftly. Not this year. Can’t say why exactly, but I think events on New Year’s Day helped keep my perspective from being cynical.

Pruning

For most people New Years Day is a time for recuperating. When they finally stumble out of bed they lurch to the couch, turn on the TV to enjoy the Rose Parade or countless hours of college football. A typical New Years Day and exactly how I started mine. But it didn’t end there, instead it turned into something more for two reasons; 1) the Rose Bowl was only on cable so we couldn’t watch it; 2) I’d gotten a tempting invitation the night before and I decided to accept it.

The invitation I received was to help finish planting an orchard. Okay, okay, I didn’t really help, I more hung out, but by the end I was helping a little...

While grazing the buffet New Year’s Eve, I exchanged pleasantries with our neighbor Steve Moeller. During the conversation and he invited me to come out to the orchard they were planting and take pictures. Unbeknownst to him, (or myself until that minute), I have decided to accumulate a collection of farm life photo’s and this was the perfect opportunity.

Trees packed in sawdust

New Year’s Day, after watching the Rose Parade with my little sister’s I decided to head out to the orchard and hang out with the Moeller clan. I made just in time to watch them plant the last row of trees. It’s a fascinating process and I learned quite a bit.

First off, orchard planting is a family, all hands on deck, affair; from Uncle Delmar all the way down to young master Stevie.

Planting 2014 style

Secondly, the orchard has two different types of trees Nonpareil and Carmel. Two varieties are necessary for cross pollination. Each variety blooms and is harvested at slightly different times. Nonpareil are the almonds usually what you buy in the store and serve on your table, Carmel are usually used for baking and found in things like chocolate almond candy bars.

Planting old school

The young trees are packed in saw dust to keep them from drying out. Back in the day planting an orchard meant manually digging a hole for each tree. Thankfully these days there are machines that make things a little easier. As you can see in the picture, it’s not so much a hole that’s dug as a trough that’s created for a tree to be planted in. (The pvc was to mark where the next the next tree was to be planted).

Packing down and pruning

After planting, the trees need to be packed down and pruned so they look like sticks in the ground. I’m not sure why they’re pruned like this, but I think the more branches there are the more nutrients go to those limbs and less to making the trunk and roots strong. It allows the farmer’s to shape the tree’s growth. I was to afraid of my destructive skills to pick up some shears and prune, but I greatly enjoyed walking along chatting in the warm sun shine.  

The last step to planting an orchard is to put milk cartons around the trunks so rabbits don’t eat them. That’s what I did (hence no pictures). It’s always been a dream of mine to do that, so when I got the chance I took it. I must admit, it was strange to be tramping through the dirt, barefoot in January, but it was so awesome. I really cannot state enough how alive one can feel working outside. Don’t get me wrong, farming is hard work, in this case I didn’t have to do any of it, and yet when I was out there, I was still a part of the family, I was accepted and belonged. And because of that I will always have a vested interest in that orchard.

My New Years Day was spent planting an orchard. Frankly, I don’t think there’s a better way to celebrate a fresh start and the hope of a new year.