Early Spring Gardening

The weather has been crazy! It got almost cold for a few days, but other than that it has been like spring here in Charlotte, NC. I do admit, even though I went on about missing the snow last week, I really have enjoyed getting out to my garden the past few days. Plants are peeking through the dirt early: I have Swiss chard ready to eat already!

I have a lot of extra work to do this spring in my garden because October, November, and December were so very, very busy with wonderful family events (our family gained a daughter and a granddaughter!), so I just had to leave my beds until later. I am certainly not concerned about it — besides, with the weather being so warm I can get out and get started.

The big upcoming project is changing the location of my largest flower garden this year. We put a shed in our driveway and because of that the garden is in a very awkward spot. It has to go elsewhere in the yard, so there is a lot of digging in my future (If you need something to do let me know, I have an extra shovel!).

As 2019 ended, our family grew by two, and 2020 is already showing new growth in my garden. I think I’ll take this as a sign that the seeds of life that have been planted are going to sprout,  take root, and grow early this year — better be ready!!

Pickle Worms: A Raised Bed Update

Remember those easy raised beds I told you about on May 8, 2019?

I posted a picture of the new cucumber plants I had put in them.

Well, they’ve grown!

I’ve been harvesting some great cucumbers, until recently. I was harvesting when I noticed some tiny holes in them – there are pickle worms in my cucumbers!

The battle has begun; I am fighting for my cucumbers.

My first line of defense is Diatomaceous Earth (fossilized remains of microalgae found in oceans and waters) it is organic, and I’m hoping that it will help.

Only time will tell.

This week I’ve started a third raised bed. I am putting some purple tomatoes in that one. Yes, purple tomatoes. I am really looking forward to those.

I also posted a picture of a second pallet raised bed I was building; I planted beefsteak tomatoes in there. They are looking pretty good. I have a couple of green tomatoes hanging from the vines and several flowers. Yay!! I can’t wait for some fresh tomato sandwiches!! I’ll be putting a cage over them soon to try to keep the animals away.

I realize that putting plants in the ground means that I will likely have some challenges. There will always be bugs to battle, animals that try to take the fruit, the plants have to be watered and weeded, and it all takes time.

Still, I love to watch things grow so I’ll continue to fight my battles.

Sometimes I’ll win, sometimes I won’t, and sometimes I’ll abandon the whole thing . But for sure, I’ll keep on keeping on.

How about you, you got any pickle worms in your life?

Recycled Raised Beds

Several months ago my bonus son (son-in-law, his name is Abe) and my daughter, Genette, made a gate for me out of wood pallets. They still need to come and help with building another gate for the other side of the house.

In the meantime, I have a pile of pallets sitting in my driveway, and it is more than will be needed for the gate, so I am using some for other projects. I wanted some raised beds for my vegetables, and there the pallets sat, so an idea flashed. I could make raised beds out of the pallets in a matter of minutes! The result was good.

To make the pallets sit flush on the ground, I took off the bottom slats and used the wood and nails to close in the sides. I had some black plastic to put on the ground to help with weed control. I put the pallets down on the plastic, filled them with good, rich dirt and planted my cucumbers and swiss chard.

I wanted a protective dome over the plants to keep the birds and bunnies away (hopefully), so I checked my “stash” to see what I could use. My “stash” is discarded items I’ve saved that I use in my garden instead of purchasing new ones. Last fall a friend moved into a different home and there was fencing and chicken wire left there by the previous owner, so she asked me if I wanted it. Of course, I said yes, knowing that I would use it in my garden, though I didn’t know how at the time. I added it to my “stash.” I also had a metal grate (that I kept from an outdoor wood grill) along with some metal display baskets (from a shelving unit in a large store). These things combined became my protective dome.

In a nutshell, I paid nearly nothing for my raised beds, and in a few weeks, I’ll have vegetables on my table! I’ve got one finished now, and two more ready for the dirt. One will have lettuce and the other will have, probably, some herbs. I’ll post some more pictures later as my vegetables grow and I fill up the other two pallets.

From discarded into useful. Tell me your own stories about recycling and reusing.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

There are times when I feel that pictures speak better than words. I was walking around in my yard and snapped some photos of the color that is still there. It makes me feel peaceful and seems to tell its own story.

Bottle Trees

I have wanted a bottle tree for years. My husband promised me one for my birthday in February and on Labor Day weekend, I finally got one from a local craft festival. It is not big, but that is just fine.  I'll need another one, I would guess, in the not too distant future. 

Bottle trees are just that, trees that you put bottles on. They can be made of wood, metal, or really any material. They look pretty in any garden. Traditionally you put blue bottles on the tree, however, if you use lots of different colors it makes them look like stained glass in your yard. Bottle trees entered this country with enslaved Africans. The decorated trees became part of Southern Appalachian culture and have become folk art. You can see them all over the US now. 

I can hear you asking, "But why would people want bottle trees in the first place". They do serve a purpose. Blue is really the color you want because both the sky and the water are blue; the blue brings them together. The bottles are hung upside down and are appealing to evil imps and spirits who try to get in your house at night. The bottle tree is put near your home to catch those imps and spirits. Once in the bottle, it is difficult for them to get out. When the sun comes up and shines on the bottle the evil spirits fade away with the sun's rays. Blue paint on a door, a porch ceiling, or around window sills keeps out evil too, but that's another story for another time. 

Bottle trees are quite popular with storytellers, but then why wouldn't they be? They tell such a great story! I love my bottle tree and it makes me smile.  If it keeps evil away, well then, that gives me one more reason to get another one (like I really need a reason).