Whoa...we are one cat-nap away from February people! Where did January go???
I've kept busy lately but have not been in the garden as much as I'd have liked to...this getting older thing is getting a bit on the way of doing stuff out there. Some furiously competitive racquetball games gave me a few wins...aaaaand something like tennis elbow (racquetball elbow?). Then some fartlek workouts (oh, yeah, for the non-runners out there: fartlek has nothing to do with odorous emissions...it is when one sort of randomly decides to sprint for a certain distance)...where was I? Oh yeah, fartlek, well, that left me with a messy knee.
And I guess posting unrequired health updates such as these would officially make me 89.
Useless factoid: fart in Swedish means speed. That is two insults I can now use around my husband without being scolded. "Hey you, fart-face!" (the other one is ass, which also means donkey...). I never said that I was a mature 89.
Last week I finished reading William Alexander's The $64 Tomato. And that's all I should say about that. But I won't.
It was not my cup of tea. This book is about his expensive dream garden and the evils he had to fight to keep it healthy & beautiful. Alexander's story was endearing...but ultimately he surrenders to pesticides and other stuff I'd not let anywhere near the food we eat. And yes, he used it on edibles. I empathized with the guy, and although I know that garden pests can attack even the most diligent and conscientious organic gardeners (or rather, their gardens), in Alexander's case many of his problems were brought in by the introduction of roses & sod ...well, what can I say that I have not said before? Roses that are not adapted to your area are likely to bring guests, like, say, beetles; and sod, oh don't get me started about that darn grass we all seem addicted to! Well, this poor fella got grubs and web worms in his turf...and from there they moved in to other areas of his garden. Nightmarish.
I don't know that much about gardening, but this book taught me nothing. This is a decent book to read if you are looking for a light novel and you have a mild interest in gardening. However, if you are a gardener and you just finished reading Pollan & Kingsolver, then Alexander's book might feel a bit less substantial.
On planting news, I've planted:
►Navajo, Apache & Dickson blackberries
►Fuju persimmon
►Self-fruitful kiwi vine
Did not take pictures of the first-graders as they are literally a bunch of sticks (were mailed to me as bare-root plants).
Transplanted:
►6 tomato plants (it is night now and I am too lazy to go look at all the tags...and I don't remember all their fancy names. Remember? I am 89)
►2 gypsy pepper plants
Bought:
►A bunch of hyacinths for a steal (planted them and checked on the bulbs ten times already...no, no blooms yet)
►Another Eureka Lemon tree (can something that barely reaches my fartleck-knees be considered a tree?) . I know, right? *yawn*boring* blah blah blah...I know there are more exciting lemons to be planted but, hey, this is the kind I like. Plus, the darn thing was sitting there all showy & sexy with its white and purple blossoms on display like a peacock in Miami beach. Never seen a peacock in Miami Beach, but sure sounded good for a moment.
So there, those are the latest happenings. Right now I have domestic homework calling my name...but we'll chat some more this week. Oh yeah, I am gonna type "Monsanto" just for the heck of it. You know, to make their ten gazillion dollar budget work a bit. Nothing to report on them (well, there is more to be learned...but not tonight)...but it feels good to know that someone is reading my blog. Even if is is a Monsantonian. And in the words of the great Seinfeld, "not that there's anything wrong with that".
Ha! I just realized that the heading of this entry was "quick" update. That'll leave you hoping I never stop by your place for a "quick" ten-week visit, eh?
4 comments:
LOL @ Monsanto. Keep 'em busy girl!
I love, love hyacinths. I go through the floral section of the grocery store just to smell them but I haven't tried growing them in Fl. Hope you get some smelly blooms from them soon! :-)
Hehe...Monsanto and I...I tell ya, we very well might end up the best of friends :-) NOT!
Hyacinths...I've been lusting after them for years...this was the time to buy them because they were dirt cheap on sale.
When I divide them I can send you some bulbs! They are super easy to grow indoors. I will sniff them up in your name as I walk by :--) I'd whisper something like "This sniff is in the stalker's name ya'll"
You are right my friend! Spring is just directly around the corner now and it won't be long before I am looking for an excuse to take a short break from the long days on the farm! But I do love what I do. I am very jealous that you are planting fruiting vines and trees! This is one of the last steps I have on my list of making my farm more self sustainable and I have not yet gotten started, I do however have a few orders out for apple scion wood, rootstock, pears, persimmons, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants. I'm probably going to regret ordering as much as I did, but one of my many dreams has been to create my own garden of Eden! Man, I can't wait until summer arrives, the taste of sweet corn, green beans, lettuce and most of all watermelons and muskmelons! Not long now at all my friend! Thank you for the note of optimism in your blog! By the way, one should know that even if they are 89 they should strive to be 12 at least one day a week. Me, I go for five days a week and make an attempt to act my age at least two days a week so as to keep my family from wanting to murder me for my practical jokes! LOL.
Ha! Don't be jealous...many of my tropicals died during the three consecutive night hard freeze we just had :--) oh, wait, wrong face! Here's the right one
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Oh, I am not even 12...more like 5!!! And that is ALL THE TIME! ☺☺☺
Nice hearing from you again!
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