A day of rest.

Well, really I had to work all day, so I was not home. I had watered REALLY well yesterday, so I was not worried on that note. Then later in the afternoon the heaven's opened up and quenched any thirst my garden may have had. That was all, just thirst quenching, but enough until the morning. I even gave the wren in my fuscia a break. I will try to get a picture of her, so far all I can get is the nest. The plant is hanging out my dining room window, nice while I am sipping tea or coffee.



We saw our first ruby throated hummingbird this evening at the feeder. There has been evidence of them, as the feeders have be drained a couple times, but this was the first siting.The hummingbird is one of my all time favorite birds. I have been fascinated with them since I was a child. Out west we had more then one type, but I'll take the little ruby throat any day. I have two feeders up this year on either side of the kitchen. Just far away enough to allow for territory, but close enough to watch.

Yesterday I went to the flea market and picked up a basket of banana peppers. Tonight I am roasting them on an open fire on the patio. I will tell you what I learned: you really do have to char the heck out of 'em! I keep having to find twigs and such for some more flame since I wasted the early part of the fire not cooking them. Live and learn! Now I will take them off the fire, put them into plastic bags to steam and cool. Then, once I can handle them, peel the skins and put them into the fridge for rellanos tomorrow night. YUM!! Can't wait to do this with some of my own peppers!

Hope you had a great week end! Later Taters!

The plan...

As if there was one! Ha! Ha! Ha! For sake of this post, let's just pretend there was.

March 2008, the seeds arrive. Oooo! Seeds have a way of growing more then just plants, they grow ideas. Like little lightening bugs in my head, I had visions of vegetables dancing in my head. All romantic, none realistic, but hey, that's what dreams are made of.

The man had already told me that we really needed to re-consider the vegetable garden. Gas and food prices were getting out of hand, it was a sure way of good food on our table and in our bellies. He suggested that we make a team of it. Ok, fine, you prepare the beds, I'll grow the plants. The first thing to go was the monkey grass.This wonder plant, aka: mondo grass, ophiopogon japonicus and liriope will grow with neglect. It is common in landscaping as an edging. Not to mention it has a pretty purple flower that attract beneficial insects. However, it was in my way and taking over the small patch we had eeked out, added topsoil to and were trying to claim as our garden. Simply put, it had to go!

While man and boy toiled to remove the monkey grass, I bought seeds. I had this grand idea that I would grow the three sisters. So, I bought corn. Because I have a mind of my own, I started them in Jiffy Pot Strips. No one told you weren't supposed to transplant corn. Besides, this isn't transplanting, you plant the whole pot. Ignorance is bliss in my case. In early April, the bed was ready and the corn went into the ground. Once again, without a whit of knowledge, they are a bit close together this year and doing OK. Next year, I will know how to space them better. But hey, if farmers in Idaho can get higher yields on less land, then so can I. It just requires constant vigilance. Who know, if it works, I may never change.

As the monkey grass went, I "planned" the rest of the garden. Along with the corn I started tomatoes and sweet peppers. I am pretty sure 100% of the tomato seeds yielded plants. In fact, only the peppers were less then 95% from the seed company Botanical Interests. I bought mine at Rosewood Market. The tomatoes would go into pots. I just never have much luck with them in the ground. So, I would need to round up enough pots. Ultimately I had 15 in pots, (I am down to 13 now as I gave two to my neighbor). Each pot has a marigold with it.

I ended up selling 13 plants in small pots to a friend at the All Local Market (By the way, IF you live in Columbia, you MUST check out this market.) for $2 each. Ahhh! My first "harvest." I turned around and spent that money on food. Mmmmmm? Do I smell a side business here?

Pretty much as soon as I put the peppers in the ground, I ended up with nine, I started some okra in little pots. I had been searching locally for peet pots without any luck, you would have thought I was looking an alien, and given up to just use small pots.

So a small garden was started and I was pleased. I would patiently wait for the corn to settle in before putting in squash seeds, (I think I was patient for about 3 weeks). I would also wait for the corn to reach at least half it's height (4-5 feet) before I put in beans, (that's it's own story there). That is surely the hard part about gardening: the wait. But wait I did, do and will do.

More on the plan soon. Later taters!

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!