Monday, May 26, 2008

Food not lawns

I finally planted some things in the garden this weekend - tomatoes (yellow pear, roma, currant, paste and beefsteak), eggplant, cukes (pickling and burpless), zucchini squash, and brussel sprouts. This week I need to get in the peppers (sweet and jalapeƱo), greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, swiss chard and collards), herbs, beans, onions, beets, and radishes. I'm trying a new "caging" system for the tomatoes and vine crops that was recommended in my Veg Gardening 101 class through MSU's extension program - it involves building "fences" for the vines to grow up, reducing the amount of horizontal space they take up (and allowing hopefully for more plants in a smaller space). Courtesy of my overzealous hubby our garden is also larger this year - almost double the space of last year and slowly encroaching over more and more of our yard. (Food not lawns!) We've also got plans in the works to add a new back door to the house onto a new back patio - to be complete with space for a fire pit and seating area, so I'm slowly inching closer to my goal of no wasted lawnscape.
I spent Saturday afternoon volunteering at Gull Meadows Farms in Richland and we all know no trip to a greenhouse can be complete without a purchase...hence two new shade loving perennials joined me for the trip home. Though we disappointingly didn't get very many questions (other than where do I find x?) I did enjoy my time wandering among the greenhouse plants and watching people excitedly fill their carts. It's nice to know people do care about and want to add to their landscape - I did even see a couple filling several carts with perennials (awesome) for their house.
As much as I'm still dedicated to it, it is harder this year to work on the yard - harder to bend over and I'm so much slower at working through things. The heat definitely is having a greater effect on me as well. I'm determined though to spend as much time as I can on it hoping it will have a positive effect on the little person in utero and they'll come out a little garden loving dirty footed hippie child.

7 comments:

Jessica said...

I picked up a yellow pear tomato today. Never had that particular one, so am excited. Got a few perennials and some other good stuff myself. I'm also working (slowly) towards eradicating as much of the lawn as possible. I hate mowing, and it just seems a waste.

Jen said...

We have a reel mower (yes, I said reel, not real, though both terms are applicable) and I actually enjoy using it to mow the lawn though I find the activity unnecessary. It has to be watered and fed and mowed - for what? So I can look at it? I'd rather plant something productive and then EAT IT! Think of how much more local food would be available and how much more self-sufficient we'd be if more people planted food not lawns!

Jessica said...

I want a reel mower! I need to pare down the amount of lawn first. Do you have any hilly or banked areas that you mow with it? Two more eggplant in the garden today just before it rained. I'm so excited. Grow, grow, grow.

Jen said...

The reel mower reely was a value - it was only around $100, doesn't cost anything to run or maintain and is self sharpening. Plus I can operate it in flipflops without worrying about losing a toe and it's light enough a kid can handle it.
I don't really have any banked areas that I mow with it but I do have some hilly areas and it does just fine. If you were having problems mowing hilly/banked areas with it you could always just plant some perennial grass or naturalizing bulbs. :)

Holly Bee said...

Will you come over and look at my lawn and help me??? I'm serious!!!

I have space, I need veggies!!!

Love, and kisses

Holly Bee said...

Where'd you score your reel mower!!!???? I've been considering one of those for ages!


I miss you!

Jen said...

We got the reel mower at Lowe's but you can also get them at Hoekstra's hardware or any home and garden store.