But first, I'm pleased to forward this Revolutionary Report from our friends The Barrows, who are furthering their plan for financial independence by putting in their first garden. Begins Garden Sergeant Major Soo:
"After days of digging and forty bags of compost and garden soil from Home Depot, we found ourselves with 240 square feet of lumps of clay. I reassured Gregg that in time, with plenty of compost, these lumps would somehow change into the rich, dark, crumbly, loam shown in all of my gardening books. I don’t think I convinced either of us."What Soo and Gregg have accomplished after that uncertain start is amazing. See for yourself!
Henry Chappell also writes in with news and pictures of the war effort in his neck of the woods, and this well-deserved raspberry at Big Ag.
Back at Camp Mullenix, the battalion stands at parade rest.
The tomatoes have nearly reached the top of their 10-foot high poles and are full of fruit.
The lettuce still looks nice but is decidedly delicate now in this heat. And I think the taste of the leaves has suffered some. An interesting and ongoing experiment in summer greens.
Here the blackberries peek through the weathering yard fence. They are small and tart but the girls still like to sprinkle them on their morning cereal.
Both the pole beans and the bush beans are now producing. These have been a big hit with the kids. Speaking of beanpoles, the sunflower is almost as tall as B.
And note Rina to right, standing guard against rogue squirrels.
And here's what a day's harvest can bring....
I bring these updates to you mostly out of pride, but also as evidence of what good (what Resistance!) may be possible, even in the suburbs. None of us is a farmer; we all have jobs and families and other hobbies to distract us. And yet there is space and time enough to grow a little something to eat and a little bit farther from our tragic economy.
9 comments:
Our garden is sadly not nearly so advanced.. spring was so wet and cool this year that planting wound up waaaay delayed for fear of further frosts. (Which turned out to be justified.)
We will have tomatoes, though, if only a few of them.
SPRING? You have spring?
Here in Minnesota we're still having 60 degree days and 40 degree nights. My beans, cukes and squash are just sprouting. We don't even have peas yet!
my goodness! What a lush, beautiful garden (not to mention cute kid). Ours is not faring half so well, I'm afraid. Our formerly shady garden plot has been overtaken by shade this year by the trees I love. Many of our plants are producing flower after flower but no vegetable. The basil is scraggly and being nibbled on by something. The beans, which were flourishing, look sad and beaten and only produce three or four at a time. The tomatoes have a tremendous number of green tomatoes that are so slow in turning red we're not sure it will ever happen, and the leaves . . . well, something has happened. Sigh. But still, it's a garden. And I think we'll have jalapenos soon!
argh! So that's what the preview button is for! I meant "our formerly SUNNY garden plot," of course.
You must be farrrr south for all that wonderful bounty. With the frost and very cold days we have had here in Edmonton, Alberta, it has made even my "pot" garden very dicy. Hauling in my pots of plants night after night is growing a little tiresome! Heres hoping that the next three months are somewhat resemble of spring/summer. It's only a few days from summer but.....
Lynda Webster
Looks great, Matt! Your beans put mine to shame. We got hit with a bad storm last night, but the garden (troops!) came through just fine. I was really sweating it.
Fellow Revolutionaries, many thanks! :-D
Even 2k feet lower in elevation that Stingray and Labrat we're way behind. Tomatoes in late July, perhaps. Basil is right now 2" tall, beans are thinking about adding that fifth leaf.
Nothing beats 14 feet below the Mississippi for tomatoes.
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