So far spring hasn't been too brutal here temp-wise, and I've put a real effort into growing some things in our backyard. Been a busy busy bee! I have three 8' x 4' raised beds that I grow various fruits and veggies in, and then a few other places in the yard that I have planted up as well. Made my first jar of homemade pickles about a week ago, now safely stashed in the fridge, and I have 3 days before I can bust it open and try them. I made them with garlic, sugar, salt, vinegar, dill weed/seed, and a homegrown jalepeno for spice. Someone at work asked, "when are you bringing those pickles?" and I'm thinking, bitch, deys mine. Gardening isn't exactly easy work, and I am eating that whole first jar on my own thankyouverymuch. I might share with Dr. B. *MIGHT* If we have a really good crop, I'm going to make pickled things for Christmas gifts, so fingers-crossed.
I come from families of farmers, and Gardner is a family name. It's in my blood, I love.LOVE.LOVE playing outside in the dirt. I did it when I was a kid, and I do it as an adult probably even more. As soon as it starts to get warm outside - which, in Texas, is pretty early - I'm out there as much as I can be. There are very few things as rewarding to me as growing my own food. Sure, nature does a lot of the grunt work, so I'm not trying to take all the credit here. But I
do make sure the bugs don't eat the shit out of the plants, and I keep the cats from pissing in the beds - both of which can ruin a plant in a day - so when I'm enjoying my home-grown foods, I feel pretty good about myself knowing that I helped make it happen.
AND!
Dr. B told about a study that indicates there are several health benefits to working in the dirt and being outside....here's one I came across that says it can help with asthma, allergies, and depression:
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac.
So yeah, outside FTW. I am looking forward to a season filled with lots of home-grown/made foods!
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| Dill Weed |
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| Very popular plant to the buggies |
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| Lovely rose, smells amazing |
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| Tea Rose |
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| Iris, came from my mom's garden |
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| Blueberries |
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| Freshly composted |
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| Made from scrap wood |
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| This bed has corn, tomatoes, canteloupe |
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| Green beans, Watermelon |
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| The raised beds |
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| The vine bed. Acorn squash (2 types), Crookneck squash, Cucumber, Watermelon, Green Beans |
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| Make your own compost |
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| Tomato plants, Canteloupe hiding in the background |
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| Sprouts coming up |
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| New life |
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| Red Chard |
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| My helper |
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| Mum |
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| Fire Hot Peppers |
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| Jalapeno Peppers |
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| Blue Bedder Sage |
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| I look away for 10 seconds, and this.... |
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| Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar |
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| Very briefly saw a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly touch down |
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| Monarch Caterpillar |
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| There were a few of these, interesting to see the color difference. This one had more white, the next one you'll notice has a lot more green. |
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| Getting so big and fat! We should have monarch butterflies soon. |
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| A very friendly moth of sorts. |
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| Eggs |
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| UGH |
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| Crookneck sqaush |
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| Cucumber |
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| BEAUTIFUL sunflower |
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| Canna |
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| Sweet Basil |
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| Green Beans flowering |
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| Beaners! |
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| Corn |
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| Had to cut a hole to accomodate |
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| Tomatoes getting ready to put out some fruit |
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| Acorn Squash |
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| Not sure what this is yet. Some sort of vine. |
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| Canteloupe |
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| Star of Yelta Morning Glory. Kept these for about 8 years, three different houses. Just love the colors and look of them! |
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| Twisted. Morning Glory plants. |
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| Heart-Shaped leaf, tell-tale sign of a morning glory plant. |
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| I never modify my pictures, because nature FTW. |
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