Oh My Garden Is Looking Good!

We have been so busy the last two weekends! We built not one, but two more beds (one last weekend and one today), and have plans for a fourth! Last weekend we got our rain barrel set up and we're waiting for more pieces to come so we can finish the irrigation system. You can see a preview in the clip below. 

Go ahead, look around! 😉

I'll start with those carrots I've been promising you. I know it took awhile but I didn't forget! 

I needed something deep to put them in so I decided to rip a pallet apart one day last month and turn it into a box. Everything about doing that was hard. Taking it apart was hard. Screwing it back together was hard. Moving it without making it fall apart was hard. Filling it with dirt was hard because I almost tore off the right side when the bag slipped and hit it. Even though this was a good way to repurpose the pallets I no longer need, I don't think I'll be making anymore. I mean, probably not. Or I might. I'm a glutton for punishment and I hate wasting things so there's definitely a possibility I'll make another one. Just not right now. 

Anyway, we got two reusable bags from our Urban Ag Conference and one of them had a hole in the bottom (I know, I couldn't believe it either 😞), so I cut it up and used it as a liner for my box that may or may not fall apart at any moment. 

And here's the finished product. I'm really good at doing things and then reading the right way to do them so I found out I did everything wrong about transplanting my carrots. You should transplant:

when they're only a few weeks old

on a cloudy day

in the morning

I transplanted them last Sunday and they are probably 6 weeks old, at least. It was super sunny and hot and about 6 pm. There's a good chance they're going to be about 1/2" long. The first couple of days they looked pretty rough but they are looking slightly better this week. 

Oh, these are purple carrots, by the way, and I've never had a purple carrot so I'm not even sure if I'm going to like to them. But purple is my favorite color and I love carrots so I'm guessing they're going to be awesome! 😊

 This is the mandatory pic of Sansa. She was a very good girl while we were working. She enjoyed being outside but she really needs to figure out how to untangle herself while on a leash. I must have unstuck her 48 times that day. 🙄

This is the four leaf clover I found beside our first bed. It must be working to bring me luck because the zucchini and broccoli are getting so BIG! 

These are green peppers that will eventually go in a bed. I started more seeds today and Philip keeps reminding me that we only have room for 40 more plants with the fourth bed. Yeah, yeah, I know...

And next is the big reveal....are you ready for it??

Ta Da!

                                  

I can feel your excitement! 

We're very pleased with it so far. The bed to the left has our broccoli, zucchini, and 2 cucumber plants. The top right has lettuce and tomatoes, and the bottom right has 5 stalks of corn, 3 bush beans, 2 watermelon, and 5 tomatoes. I know what you're thinking, why would I put tomatoes in two different ones, and believe me, it's not my ideal layout. However, the ones in the top right were begging to go outside last weekend and the ones in the bottom right weren't quite ready. There are still several more inside that will probably go out next weekend and occupy the bottom right bed also. Next year I will coordinate my beds better but this assortment will have to do for this year! Farmer Mollie, from Jennings Brae Bank Farm (shout out! 😉) told me every year is a learning year and the first one is the biggest. Duly noted. 

Bed one, top left. 

                               

Bed two, top right.

A close up of the lettuce. I asked Philip (ahem *Phil*) to take these pics and send them to me because my hands were dirty. He really likes the lettuce. (He doesn't actually like lettuce but he's going to because this lettuce is going to be AMAZING!) 😂

Bed three, bottom right. 

 

And a close up of a tomato plant. I ran out of green garden stakes so I improvised with pieces of a drying rack that used to be in the basement. It broke so I took it apart and saved the poles for just an occasion such as this. 

 Here's the preview of the irrigation system. It isn't finished yet but it's going to be pretty great when we get it done!



Thanks for following our garden journey!

My Least Favorite Holiday

Mother's Day is a day I typically like to pretend doesn't exist. It's a day of sadness and longing for one more day to spend with my mom, Nother Nan, and now, Grandma. The feelings of loss are stronger on some days than others.  I am reminded of them every day in one way or another. 

Every time I look in the mirror I am reminded of how much I look like Mom (my nickname growing up was "Little Kathy" and I hated it then). 

I think of her every time I sass someone, because she didn’t take any shit either.

I inherited her neurotic need to clean all the time. 

My brother and I work hard because she taught us how. 

She showed me her love for animals, which is a great blessing in my life. 

I often think of how smart she was, even though she didn’t know it. 

We shared a love for being outside: working in the yard, riding bikes, golfing, walking.

 I’m pretty sure chocolate is in my DNA, passed down from her. Fudge Rounds and dirt cake were childhood staples. 

Dairy Queen ice cream cake is still my favorite, a birthday tradition she started. 

Late night reruns of Golden Girls or Roseanne bring back memories of watching together. 

I think of Grandma with every beautiful flower and cardinal I see.

I watch videos online with old women who say inappropriate things and I laugh and think of her. 

I’ve mastered her macaroni salad recipe but my potato soup never tastes as good as hers did. 

We always listened to music together when I was young and I still love singing. 

I remember we used to watch Little House on the Prairie and play with dolls. She spent much of her time watching my brother and me when Mom worked. She was always there when we needed her. 

Nother Nan was the kindest person I’ve ever known. 

She would give anybody anything she had, if they needed it, or even if they didn’t need it but asked anyway. 

I think of her anytime someone says, “Holy Mackerel,” or “That really burns me up.” 

I can’t eat a no bake cookie or see Swiss Cake rolls without thinking of her. 

I definitely got my competitive spirit from her; she was known to get rowdy at my brother’s basketball games! 😂 

There was rarely a time when I went to visit and she wasn’t sitting at her kitchen table, drinking coffee. We played many games of cards at that table when I was young. War was my favorite and now that I realize how boring that game is, I appreciate her patience. 

I’m so grateful to have been raised by these three women, who loved each other despite my parents being divorced. Losing them leaves an emptiness that can’t be replaced but I am strong because they were strong. All the good parts of me came from them. 

I'm also grateful for the other women in my life, who help ease the pain of losing them. This is going to seem a bit like an 8th grade shoutout to my friends on an awesome HTML website that I designed(!).... but I just want them to know that I love and appreciate them. Marsha and Kim, you do a good job of providing friendship with a tad bit of mothering, if I need it. Lori, you're the sister I never had but always wanted, and I'm so happy you share your children with me. Lisa and Regina, you make being at work fun and I feel like you both understand me. Holly, I'm so glad we've reunited. It's great having a friend who knows where I'm coming from. Michelle, we don't talk as often anymore but I'll always be grateful that you were there for me when I was lonely and needed a friend. Anetia, you're pretty special to me, too. Some people hate their in-laws but I can honestly say I love mine and I'm very blessed to have you. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers. "A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."