Gardening 101

So, I’ve decided to plant a garden. I have this idea of living from the land and taking advantage of being in this beautiful place. I want to eliminate the need of going to the grocery store. I’d like to can, freeze or eat fresh fruits and vegetables from my garden and eat fresh eggs that I collected from my hens. I haven’t figured out the meat thing yet, but I will. Maybe I’ll become a vegetarian… I’m starting out with a 10X12 foot plot and will grow from there. What I don’t use in some form or another I can sell or use to barter, maybe for meat. I went to the local farmer’s market and it was somewhat disappointing. There were only a few vendors with fresh vegetables, mostly lettuce and spinach. I called the State and the local organizer and found that if I bake it, make it, or grow it, I can sell it there. I'm about to be a real farmer… There are only a few requirements like for grading eggs or weighed merchandise.

Back to the garden - I hired someone to help me plan it, plant it, and provide general advice. (yeah, I know-how bourgeois) I knew it was late in the season and wanted to get a jump on planting something, like collard greens (mucho yummy). These ladies came out to check out the spot. I found the perfect spot on the side of the house on a small hill that faces east. This spot

gets sun from sunrise to 4 or 5pm. It was perfect. They walked around and kicked and pulled and tasted the weeds. Then they said, what’s this? I responded what do you mean (I didn’t go that far down with them because of bugs). They asked if something was our water well. I said no, our well is in the front somewhere. ( I later was reminded that it was actually in the back) They stomped on the surface and then asked if it was the sewage cap. Well we had the sewage system tested before we bought the house. They had to replace some thingamajig because it eroded. The sewage folks said that garbage disposals were evil. So I knew the sewage was several yards away. So I confidently replied no. Then I called Mark over to see if he knew what is was. Guess what, it was the sewage cap. Apparently the sewage container is long and wide and runs right through the middle of my “spot”.

(sewage inspection/repair)

The ladies started looking around and suggested another spot, not too far away. Right where Mark suggested we put a pool… Well I don’t want a pool, so I thought it was perfect. And Mark doesn’t think this gardening thing is going to last so he said, no problem. Then they told me that a plant that Mark had identified as skunk cabbage (we are some dumb city folk) was actually rhubarb. Rhubarb is very tart, so I wrinkled my nose. They told me to keep the rhubarb, it was an expensive plant and fruit and I could always sell it.
(This tree outside the kitchen winow, and coincindently near where the sewage system was repaired, blossomed so nicely I just had to share a picture)

The first thing I had to do was cut the overgrown grass on this new spot. No problem, Mark and Poochy love playing on the tractor. Then we need to till it. Then we can plant. So I had homework. I asked Poochy(visiting again) who was on the tractor at the time, to mow it for me at some point. I warned him not to mow over the rhubarb. He said no problem. Well guess what, I went inside to do something and when I came out, guess who was mowing over the rhubarb… Mark! Poochy hadn’t relayed the message. Oh well. I guess there’s always next year. So till... Stay tuned!