Ah, I haven't forgotten about you, blog! Motherhood is ever-consuming and it makes it difficult to find the time (and energy) to write. But as Liza told me, "the only way to blog is to blog." So, here goes.
Andrew and I constructed the borders of our new, large garden about a week ago. We've since filled it with soil, transplanted the cherry tomato plants, the bell pepper plants and the plants from seed: cucumbers, broccoli and Brussell sprouts. Then a few days ago, Sasha and I moved all of our herbs from the first plot to this one, because it gets much more sunlight. We are thinking about putting in a flower garden in place of the herb garden, or possibly a butterfly garden. But first priority right now is this larger plot.
I know I am slacking with posting new pictures. I will try to work it out with Liza for this week because her pictures will make the garden look better than it does in real life. In the meantime, let me fill you in on how much fun I've been having!
Let me start by telling you about my cucumber plants. Wow! I planted 3 cucumber seeds and they are growing crazy-fast. When I moved them from pot to plot, I split them up so I have one lonesome cucumber plant next to a pair. I don't know if cucumbers grow fast in general, or if the soil I am using is perfect for them, or if I just give them so much lovin' they can't stop if they tried. All I know is they are doing so great. Hard to believe they were just seeds a couple weeks ago. As for my other seedlings, they are growing but I wouldn't say thriving. Again, maybe they just grow slowly or maybe they are growing at a completely normal rate for vegetable plants but I am comparing them to the superstar next door. Either way, I am still excited by whatever progress they do make each day.
When we moved the herbs, I realized some of them were begging to be pruned (is that the right word?) so I gently removed some of the larger stems from the cilantro (which is HUUUGE), parsley, sage, thyme, and the horrific looking mint plant from the front yard. Then I spent about half an hour cleaning and drying them, uniformly bunching each herb separately, then securing the stems with small rubber bands. Then I took some dental floss and ran it through each of the rubber bands, spacing the bunches a couple inches apart. Tied a loop knot into each end and hung the herbs to dry out on the patio. We actually have a dehydrator here, which would very quickly dry them out. But I like doing detail-oriented work like that, and working with the herbs I've been growing was... Therapeutic. Calming. Rewarding. Now I check them every day to see how they are doing. The thyme is pretty much dried out, because the leaves are so tiny. The mint is also pretty dry. The others are all making progress but it will probably take another week or so. Not sure yet how I will store them (i.e. ideas welcome!)
In other news...a toolbox full of hand-held gardening tools magically appeared on the patio the other day! I assumed my mother-in-law came across it when she was reorganizing but she said she didn't know where it came from. So maybe it was my father-in-law. Or maybe, just maybe the garden fairy looked upon my garden and said, "Holy cilantro! This girl needs some tools!" Regardless, I have been having a ball with them. Yesterday I spent the baby's afternoon naptime working the dirt in both plots, even going around the plants I have in there already to give the soil some lovin'. When I was done it looked brand new and absolutely spectacular.
The other night I couldn't sleep so I laid in bed on my phone looking at other gardening blogs. And I feel like I am so far behind the learning curve. These other bloggers are very technical and knowledgeable and seemingly seasoned. I totally feel like the new kid in school who doesn't know where the bathroom is and so she holds it all day, but pees her pants when she sneezes in last period (I wrote that analogy without knowing how I would back it up but I totally can so it stays!) I feel like it's no big deal that I'm clueless but maybe by the end of this growing season I will realize that, damn I should have checked the pH of the soil. What if this garden is a total flop, destroyed by strong winds or aphids or inadequate acidity?! I guess that's how you learn, right? If it ain't broke, don't fix it but if at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again. You can dust it off and try again.
Alrighty then, I would say I have sufficiently updated you all on the state of the garden. Goodnight to all, and I hope you don't have that Aaliyah song stuck in your head all night ;-)
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