Yeah, not a pretty sight
As we move into late May, several things have become acutely obvious. In no particular order, because they are all important:
- If we don't get a move on it right now, then the plants I bought at Miller's a few weeks ago (peppers and tomatoes; more on that later) are not going to do well.
- In part because I got to Miller's so relatively late in the planting season, the availability of the specific types of peppers and tomatoes I was looking for (some of the more popular ones, clearly) was less. If nothing else, this made me finally cut back on the number of plants I intend to grow.
- Because all the gardening last year came to a screeching halt last August when I was hospitalized and did not pick up "early" this spring because I am still regaining strength and capacity, the gardens are a mess. A. Mess. We have an electric rototiller; Warren suggested that we try to clear as much of the kitchen garden as possible BEFORE we rototill it so that we make it a little harder for the weeds to spring back immediately. He is also concerned that I personally do not have the strength to rototill. I have begun clearing the kitchen garden by hand. What. A. Chore. For lots of reasons, we have to have those plants in the ground by the end of this Saturday and at some point I may say to heck with the whole garden right now; let's just clean out the area we need for those, and then finish cleaning up the rest as soon as possible after that for the basil bed and other things we will be sowing.
- The likelihood of our using the Hej Garden for any purpose this year is slim at best. Besides the issue of having to clear it, I don't know if I have the energy to plant it and care for it. So I have to rethink the layout of the kitchen garden in more than one way. That may mean buying more zucchinis at the Farmer's Markets around the county this summer. I can live with that.
- Even the flower gardens in the backyard—the one that runs alongside the back of the house and the one further back in the yard against the pine trees—were left to weeds given the medical messes. I did a pretty rough clearing of the one in the back of the house: not pretty.
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| Some of the debris from the flowerbed behind the house |
I know there are more things, but that's a start! Between the time I started this post (late afternoon) and as I am finishing it (mid-evening), Warren and I sat down for supper and he acknowledged my let's-clear-the-bare-minimum-and-get-those-plants-in-the-ground-now approach may be for the best. So after he comes in from mowing the lawn, I will show him my layout from last year and see what his thoughts are about placement this year. He usually leaves all of that part of gardening up to me, but a few weeks ago suggested some changes that made sense.
Because these plants really, really need to get into their garden home!
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| Looking for their summer home |
At some point soon, I will spell out what I bought (basil seeds, anyone?) and what ended up planted where. But not tonight and, with even the bare minimum plan in place, probably not for the next few nights.
6 comments:
It's a start. I have fingers crossed my various pots and planters will succeed with some produce.
Sam, that is what I keep telling myself: it's a start. Warren and I talked over some of the hurdles tonight and he reminded me that we have been through a lot and that it is okay if we just do what we can and accept that as "enough."
I am right there with you April. Kay's husband is out planting my pots today because my vertigo is not behaving. We only have a small amount of rock work left, but again I can't bend over and stand up over and over. Weeds have taken over a good part of the yard and it will be a while before we can get to them. I just have to close my eyes to the mess. Which is so hard for me. But look at you here to plant another garden and that is a good thing.
Kim, I am about to post an update (a new post) as to the kindness of others because a dear friend stepped up and came over this morning to help get it cleared. We made a dent in it!
I can relate. We still have tomatoes and peppers to set out, ones that weren't big enough, when the others were set out. And lots are still too small, and may never get planted. We do what we can, right?
Laurie, I just posted an update about a dear friend stepping forward to help me tackle the mess. Long ways to go but there WAS progress. But you are absolutely correct: we do what we can!
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