Yesterday morning I sat down at my computer to check email and the optical mouse wouldn’t work. It felt funny, kind of tacky instead of smooth on the mousepad. I flipped it over to find one of my business cards taped to the bottom, the words “Ha Ha” printed on it. Funny kids.
Yesterday was to have been rose-pruning day. Ha Ha. I conceived the notion literally Thursday evening that I needed planter boxes in the garden area. Srsly, was actually tired of buying new pots (if you can conceive of such an insane notion)! And since my seed buying was showing no signs of slacking off, it had to be done.
With our typical over-engineering, we used 2x10x8 boards cut in 6′ and 2′ pieces, and screwed (not nailed) them together. Filled each with 60lbs of Jungle Growth mix, 80lbs of top soil, 80lbs of composted cow poop and 20lbs of peat. Hoe-ing all that shit together is tiring. let me tell you.
Transplanted the cucumber to box #3, where it immediately went, “WTF??” Then it went, “AAAHHH.” Because plants speak in all capitals, you know.
Now, with the plethora of seeds coming in here in the next week, the question is…WHAT TO PLANT?? Because I am Insane Seed Lady and there’s just not enough room for everything. Husband, driven equally insane by the heat, has requested corn. CORN?? I managed to find some dwarf-ish varieties that won’t overshadow everything else, so we’ll be trying Orchard Baby, Japanese Hulless, and Golden Bantam (scroll down, stupid sites), though not all at once, mind you.
Also incoming are:
- Sweetie Melons (butterscotch??? must. have.)
- Daikon Radish
- Savor Melons (Charentais type melon)
- Red Currant Tomatoes (yes, I need ANOTHER tomato)
- Ishikura Bunching Onions
- Horehound (am I going to make my own lozenges, you damn betcha)
- Sweet Marjoram (marjoram cooked with chicken in olive oil is to die for)
- Lime Basil (because I’m a sucker for lime, yes)
- Bronze Fennel (er, because I have none)
- Black Valentine Bean
- Commodore Bean
- Dragon’s Tongue Bean
- Yellow Pear Tomatoes (won’t someone stop me??)
And flooowers (because we just don’t have any of those *snort*, all from swallowtailgardenseeds.com):
- Cardinal Climber
- Asarina, Violet
- Sweet Peas, Matucana
- Balloon Flower, Fuji White
- Foxglove, Milk Chocolate
- Red Hot Poker, Flamenco
- Cape Daisy, White
- Marigold, Boy-Harmony
- Strawflower, Orange Double
- Blackberry Lily, Freckle Face
Seed exchange anyone?
Shit, forgot some, from Seed Savers Exchange:
- Helios Radish
- Philadelphia White Box Radish
- Royalty Purple Pod Bean
- Sultan’s Golden Crescent Bean
- Ancho Gigantea Pepper
- Mini Chocolate Bell Pepper
- Joe’s Round Pepper
Halp!
For those of you who care (and for my own easy-access record keeping), here’s what’s getting done in the new boxes:
Box #1
- Daikon Radish
- Ishikura Bunching Onion
- Black Valentine Bean
- Philadelphia White Box Radish
- Little Finger Carrot
- Sweetie Melon
Box #2
- Early Straightneck Squash
- Lemon Cucumber
- Mini Chocolate Bell Pepper
- Ancho Gigantea Pepper
- Beth Alpha Cucumber
Box #3 (aka. The Pepper Box)
- Joe’s Round
- Sweet Pickle
- Jalapeno
- Red Marconi
- Thai Long Sweet
- Red Cheese
- Topepo Rosso
- Red Rocket
- Paprika
- Red Bell
- Thai Hot
- Pimento
Box #4
- Sugar Bush Watermelon
- Savor Melons
- Orchard Baby Corn
All the tomatoes are staying inside the pool enclosure in pots. Why expose them to the billyun bad things that can get them by putting them in the ground if you don’t have to? The herbs are likewise staying inside, close to the kitchen where they’re needed.
I think at some point the kids are going to be on the side of the road with a table full of produce for sale.