The Garden, Week 7: The Part Where It Starts To Look More Like A Legit Garden

The State of the Tomatoes

Claire helped me measure the tomatoes today. (Day 46, for those tracking towards Days To Harvest.) It was interesting to match all of the varieties up and see how they're comparing. In each grouping there is definitely one plant doing better than the rest and now I'm really glad that I started with so many seedlings, then transplanted a bunch of those (and kept more seedlings in reserve), because it's obvious that not all of these will make it in the ground. 

(Short, squatty, shrively, Brandywine on the far left, I am looking at you.)

They're 3-6 inches tall and mostly happy. There are still plenty to plant and if only HALF of those produce, I should still have a mountain of tomatoes.

(Remember, the goal is caprese salad for dinner EVERY DAMN NIGHT.)

Raised Beds

Remember how I said that I was going to construct raised beds with lumber and my own two hands? Welllllll, I decided to throw some money at the problem as we are not very carpentry-inclined and we were probably fooling ourselves with the idea we'd BUILD them. (OURSELVES! HA HA HA HA HAAAAA. We must have been drunk.)

I bought two of these:

The reviews say good things and a few people have used them for a couple of years and say they still look great (they're not real wood, more of a plasticky composite with a wood pattern). They're not permanent, so if the spot we put them in doesn't work (for whatever reason) they're simple enough to relocate next season. And, for about $60? SOLD. I'm not even sure what cinder blocks or lumber or fancy cobblestone stacker things would cost, but the whole part where I can skip going buy it, cut it up, put it together, and hope I did it right? Oh, that is SO worth sixty bucks. (I bought two, so, $120, delivered to my door, hot ham I love the internet.)

This is what they look like if you decide to plant three-year-old children in them:

They took about six minutes to unbox and put together, which is exactly how long the baby can entertain herself on a blanket in the yard. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND these for would-be gardeners with short people wandering about.

(Obviously, I am not planting the children in these. Come on, please be serious, everyone knows children need large amounts of television indoors to grow properly.)

The Rabbit Problem

Look at how sad this is:

The rabbits got five plants last week before I wised up and moved the containers to a high table on the patio rather than the low, easily accessible for cat-size rabbits, wagon. 

For the most part, I'm super impressed that the only ones that died? They did not die because of my neglect! And? I had back-up plants to replace them with! (Don't tell anyone, but I think I am kind of good at this gardening thing.)

The Tree

I know, I know, it's a pretty tree. 

But it's blocking sunshine on that entire HALF of my yard and the other half has its own full sun issues and this is really the only way. It's also probably going to split if we get a really good storm in the next few years. (Highly likely.) The tree will be removed on Monday, sunshine will flood the yard, tomatoes will prosper.

The Whiskey Barrel

My local Lowe's had a stack of these and I kind of liked them. They're oak and the dude said they came from the Jack Daniel's distillery (who knows if it's true). I stuck my head in before I filled it and it smelled like delicious, sweet whiskey. (What? You would have done the same thing.) I stuck a basil and lemon thyme plant in (which I bought at Home Depot, since the bunnies ate all my thyme plants) and sprinkled seeds for oregano, cilantro, and rosemary and called it done. We'll see if they turn into anything.

Mid-way through my efforts (and after I'd gone to Home Depot TWICE in one morning, this is exactly why I do not do DIY) I noticed my sack of dirt had this note:

What the crap!? Not for containers? Well, too bad. I dumped two sacks of this stuff in there.

The Children

They played in the water table the whole time.

Me

Holy crap, gardening is a lot of work. I need a beer. Probably two.

Comments

[Raven]

Pretty soon I'm going to need you to start sporting a ridiculously large brimmed hat and floral apron as southern lady gardeners are prone to do.

;-)

[HereWeGoAJen]

We went and bought our plants today! I bought six plants (way poor selection at the store I went to today) and spent like $15. So you are going to be ahead on per plant cost. Especially if any of mine die.

I saw those raised beds at Sams and if I decide to do beds next year instead of containers, I am SO getting those.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I will say it again: I love this series. :-) It's so fun (and informative!) to hear of your garden adventures.

Our Home Depot has those barrels too... I am contemplating getting one for herbs.

Your kids - planted and running wild - are adorable.

[Jesabes]

I'm really going to have to go buy a water table.

My husband came home the other day with those little Jiffy seed starter things and expected me to be blown away. I was like, yeah, that's what all the cool people use.

[Mia B]

Looking great! Also, I think days to maturity is from the time you get the plants in the ground, so get them in asap to begin caprese salad feasting! Are you going to dig out your lawn to place the raised beds or try to smother your grass with layers of cardboard or what? If you have bermuda, be prepared to fight it every step of the way.