City giril what?

Yea, really, I consider myself a city girl. After all, I came of age in San Francisco and if that's not a city, what is? I haven't been a city girl for some time. In 1994 I relocated to Columbia, South Carolina. If you are from South Carolina, then I suppose this is a city. However, from my point of view it was rural, very rural. To it's credit, it has grown leaps and bounds in the 13+ years I have been here. Still, it is no comparison. But it is home none the less.

Gardening has been this elusive thing that was not my dream. My POSSLQ, (Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters, pronounced pos-sel-Q) having had this dream of some day farming that I encouraged, cuz hey, that means free yummy food, right? Well, let's just say, his dream has drifted to sailing and wild plants leaving the back yard to fallow and me still wanting free, yummy food. I have tried a couple years to grow some stuff, always hoping he would step in a take over. Not much luck. So, this year I took the bull by horns and have stepped to the plate hoping to fill mine.

A brief personal plant history: I can grow things. I used to live in a jungle in my SF flat. House plants thrived under my neglect. I transplanted, rooted, you name it and rarely did one die. OK, so I have green thumb. This transplanted to the garden just fine for starting seeds. But I lacked knowledge and time to get them to bear fruit and feed me. Let me point out, I have 3 kids and I work. If I had the time to garden, it also meant I had the time to meet my girlfriends for drink, or to just sit in a quiet corner and babble. It never occurred to me that that time could be spent in the garden. Go figure, I never said I was smart.

In March of this year, 2008, I started some tomatoes, sweet peppers and corn. All in Jiffy Strips peat pots. I was charmed, absolutely every one sprouted. I got the man to prepare some beds, he would still have to do the heavy work, that was the deal, and put them in the ground. That is except the tomatoes, that I have in pots on the patio. For the record, I am growing the three sisters, (corn, beans and squash, yellow and zukes), sweet peppers, hot peppers, okra, tomatoes, potatoes, sunflowers and various herbs. I have crammed a lot into a small space as you will see when I get some pix up here.

Now it is June and realize I need a way to keep track of what I am doing this year that works or not, so I can remember next year and make all new mistakes. What better way then a blog. (Needless to say, some of these early post will be back tracking what I have done, just for the record.) This way, if anyone reads it, someone else can learn from me and I from them. Ahh, the Internet, gotta love it. So, gentle reader, read on, post, talk back, let's make yummy food!