Pages

Friday, March 27, 2009

RAIN

Today is the fourth day of Rain. Everything is soaked. Tomorrow will bring a chance of severe storms on top of more rain. No gardening for me.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sunday, March 22, 2009

"Lettuce" plant

I accomplished something in the garden this weekend. Okay, so it wasn't MY garden but it is accomplishment. While I was waiting for my taxes to be done today, I dug up a garden bed and helped my Dad plant strawberries. Doesn't sound like much, heh? Well, my dad has a broken foot so he hasn't been able to use the tractors or do anything because of bruising and swelling around the cast...so I was digging out Pokeberry stumps in an area near his green house as an emergency planting bed. My shoulders HURT! In exchange, he gave me some BEAUTIFUL baby lettuce plants that are ready from the greenhouse. I'm so excited. I don't care how cold it is tomorrow..I'm planting these babies when I get home from work!!

The downside, I promised a few people I would scan in some companion planting guides and planting schedules..and I didn't. I swear, between the stomach ache Saturday and getting all my stuff together to do our taxes, plus being gone all day today I have not had a chance to get this stuff done! (Partly because I have to hunt for the software to download my scanner to this computer since we had to reload the towers awhile back and it hasn't been done so its not just scanning in some papers and uploading..its an involved process).

They are calling for rain next weekend so I will try my best to get this done this week/weekend. Remember Patience is a virtue! ha ha

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Another day without Accomplishment

I officially have too many irons in the fire and not enough energy. I'm tired ALL the time, and I know this. I know if I kicked up my energy level and forced myself to do some things, I would get more done but I feel like I'm never getting sleep and its all I can do to get dinner on the table some nights.

Last night, was one of those nights. I did get the planting bench cleaned off, one seed tray set up, and that was it. Tonight, I am bound and determined to get atleast two trays planted. I can't take this anymore. My lights have been put up with a timer on them, and I have nothing to grow. Please, someone, kick my arse into gear.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

March: Lion or Lamb?

We have tons of nursery rhymes and old wives tales in the deep south (and all over America) about gardening and weather. March is known for its winds in this part of the country. The saying though is: if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. I'm just taking a guess here, but I believe the snow during that first week of March qualifies as a lion. In fact, the past three days full of rain, are quite lion-like as well.

I'm not complaining (really) since we have been prone to a draught the past few summers (more than a few), but this is making it very difficult to get any planting done. We have been confined to the indoors for the most part, which normally would be great except my husband has his twisted agenda list which always comes before my Honey Do list. Meaning: my fabulous planting table he lovingly built for me, is covered in an array of junk while he builds his work bench so I can neither GET to my table nor has he hung the grow lights so that I can plant my seeds that I fussed about for so long.

With this weather, I can not work in the garden either so I'm confined to the house and doing the "domestic" chores (which I'm very good at it and wouldn't get done if I didn't do them) but it is absolutely driving me insane! I want to watch something grow other than my widening rearend. Seriously, I need to be outdoors in sunshine and warm weather, digging in the dirt and moving horse manure, getting exercise and vitamin D so I can retain my sanity. (Okay, I'm exagerating only slightly here).

Every year, an abundance of chores and household projects prevent us from planting on time. EVERY year I complain about getting the garden done late and not having enough time to keep it up properly. This year, is off to the same old start.

Today's Tip: Plant pansies

Thursday, March 5, 2009

March 1st =6" Snow











Pics of Yardwork

Yea..I finally found the camera cord. While we did not have the bobcat, my Dad did bring the big tractor with the scrape so we were able to level out the big ditch in the pasture, scrape the driveway, remove about 10 stumps and fill in the holes and scrape the sacrifice pasture, plus we trimmed up a lot of dead undergrowth around rose bushes etc. Here are pictures of our work. It probably just looks like like a bunch of dirt but I can see the difference!

Above: The garden-beginning to freshen/turn the soil preparing for spring.

Below Pic 1: the newly scraped driveway Below Pic 2: The scraped manure pile=fertilizer















Above Pic 3: Cleaned out brush from side of the house around old rose bushes.
Above Pic 4: Brush pile in backyard from the day's work.

SEEDS ARRIVED

The seeds have arrived after one month. I actually had to write a harsh but polite letter to PineTree Seeds to find out where my order was. They claimed it shipped on February 25th but I have a hard time believing it since it arrived five business days AFTER my letter. Methinks someone forgot the order or wasn't planning on shipping it. Either way, one month even in a busy time is ridiculous.

In addition, when it arrived there was a backorder note for one of my purchases yet they still have my money for it. They could not have told me via email when they sent me a one liner with the ship date (in which they did not even apologize)?

At this moment, I am probably NOT going to reorder from them. I will see how their seeds turn out before I give the final review but I'm a little put out with this company at the moment. So save yourself some trouble for the moment. The prices are good, selection in the catalog seems great, online it is pretty pathetic and underwhelming. Customer Service is lacking and delivery and follow up are currently rated in the FAIL category. Product Quality review is pending..so until then, my advice is to not order until checking back with me.