February 2, 2012 - Oh, The Possibilities

I'm definitely leaning toward the garden redo this spring. Barbie asked where the new beds would be in the garden plan I posted yesterday. I'm not planning on putting raised beds in the new area. I've opted for wide rows, intensively planted, instead. Rows that will be anywhere from 2' to 3' wide for easy reaching. I could easily make them up to 10' long. I had already made up my mind to do the same in the old (east) garden, but there the rows could only be 6' or 7' long (and a lot fewer rows). Here is a rough draft of what I could do.



The shaded area at the top left is where the "Kennel Garden" is now. The unused kennel would be moved, and repurposed as a rain/snow free shelter for the dogs next winter, with a tarp over the top, for a place to do their business right off the patio. Spoiled little things just cannot get used to rain and snow! I think the kennel will fit over the lettuce garden behind the shed when not in use. I hope so, I don't want to have to dismantle and then reconstruct it every year, and I don't want to have to mow in and around it all summer. I would use the entire 6' fence line (left, north side of garden) for climbing things, like morning glories, pole beans, cucumbers and peas. The two small plots in the shaded area would work for lettuce and spinach. I'd still have my garden bench in that corner, even though it's a dangerous place to sit when the squirrels start throwing walnuts at my head! The raspberries and strawberries would remain in their raised beds (all the rectangular beds on the left are raised beds). Squash will again be planted in the circle at the bottom left. That gives me room for a lot of 2'-3' wide beds in the new area, with 1'-2' paths between the wide rows. There would also be plenty of room to set a few pots of herbs and/or flowers.

I hope I can stay this excited about it when the hard work begins. The planning is the fun part!

February 1, 2012 - Should I or Shouldn't I?

I approached Mr. Granny with an idea, and he actually didn't fight me over it! What do you think......

This is a master garden plan of my existing "North" and "East" gardens, with the "Kennel Garden" joining the two at the corner. Pay no attention to what it shows planted in the beds, it's actually a plan of my 2009 garden, just pay attention to the spaces. The red line would be the new "North" garden boundary, and much of the "East" garden would be eliminated. This would add about 300 square feet of planting area, and sod removed for the expansion would be put over in the "East" garden. There's a lilac tree there that is a constant PITA with its suckers spreading through the garden. If it were back in lawn, the suckers would be mowed with the grass. I would eliminate the kennel, the welded wire fencing and the plastic mesh fencing, and put in a 3' high chain link fence with a gate wide enough to accommodate the garden cart.


Of course, I might change my mind, but if I go ahead with the plan it will have to be finished by mid-March. It might actually be better to work at it a bit at a time this year, with a finishing date set for spring 2013. I just hate to have the garden in bits and pieces between now and then, but it would be a lot easier on the gardener.


The monster shelves in my bedroom are no longer empty. Under the lights, I have some seedlings that have sprouted. The celery, tomatoes and lettuce are all up. Parsley, which is notoriously slow to germinate, is still a no show. The two containers on the right were planted with about 170 onion seeds yesterday, when my new seeds arrived from Mike the Gardener's Seeds of the Month Club.

Lettuce seedlings will grow under lights, it's way too early to plant anything outside. Of course, a few seeds were put outside in pots yesterday, 'cause there's always a slim chance the weather will cooperate!

January 31, 2012 - Hello, Sunshine!

In just a week, we went from this.....

....to this. When we left for Arizona in mid-October, all the flowers were still in bloom. I couldn't bear ripping them out, so now I have the job of pulling out all the dead ugliness of winter. Temperatures in the mid 50s and sunshine were all the motivation I needed to begin the cleanup.

That's better! The dead zinnias are gone, the leaves raked and put into the raised bed by the shed (they'll get removed, chopped and returned to the garden when I find the lawnmower), and the last section of fencing mended where the weight of flowers and snow pulled it down. There's still a lot to do, but at least I got something started.

January 30, 2012 - End of the Kitchen Redo (almost)

With the exception of a few minor things, like new cupboard and drawer pulls and maybe a coat of fresh polyurethane on the cupboards, the kitchen is done. It looks so shiny and clean and so un-Harvest Gold! I must say, the beiges, browns and almond are much more restful to the eye.

I went for an old fashioned ceramic tiled back splash, 'cause I'm an old fashioned type of gal.

Remember how unhappy Mr. Granny was that I spent over $300 for a new sink, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with the old one? Now the sink is his favorite update in the kitchen! He didn't think he'd like the odd shaped tiles on the back splash, but now he likes those too. I have found I must dry off the counter after wiping it off, or it streaks. Each evening, when I clean up after dinner, I spray it (and the stove top) with an ammonia free glass cleaner and dry it with a micro fiber cloth, which leaves the surfaces sparkling clean.

I love the floor! If I had it to do over again, I'd pick one without knotholes, but I can live with it. It's so easy to keep clean. I wrap a terry cloth towel around the broom and sweep once a day, which does a much better job than the broom alone. Once a week I damp mop with white vinegar and warm water, squeezing the mop out really well.

I painted the six doors in the hallway white. It's so much brighter than those dark walnut stained doors! I still have to paint one hallway wall, where I removed and then replaced some door trim while John was installing the floor. Once that's done, I can start painting Mr. Granny's man-cave. I think son John and I will tackle installing new carpet in there once the painting is done. I have to hurry and get my inside chores done, as it will be time to garden before I know it.

January 27, 2012 - I Thought Christmas Was Last Month

Thank you to all of you who left birthday wishes for me! You really made my day!

I thought Christmas was last month, but evidently not because Santa Claus came yesterday! Oh, I know he says his name is Ed, the gardener from Tales From the Mountainside, but I know his true identity.....he's Santa, alright. Just look what he left in my mailbox!

That's an entire garden, people! Oh, Mrs. Pickles, I think I will be Mrs. Lettuce again this year, don't you?

I sure was happy to receive the Mini Gold tomato seeds. I didn't save any from the plant I grew in 2011, thinking I had more seeds in the packet....but I can't find the packet! I'm definitely going to start a pot for the new grow shelf, and see if I can actually manage to mature a few tomatoes in the house. It's such a prolific little variety, if anything can make it inside, it will be Mini Gold.

Mr. Granny is already pacing. He says he's afraid I'm going to make my garden larger this year. Maybe not larger, but I'll bet I have more pots and buckets scattered throughout the existing space.

The new shelving unit is rather large, isn't it? I'm glad it's only going to live in my bedroom until (probably) April. I can't find my S-hooks for hanging the lights (I found the chains!), I think I used them all to attach the plastic fencing to the garden shed. Somewhere I have a new package of black cable ties to fasten down the rope lights....can't find those, either. I wonder where I put the power strip. Why am I so organized through the gardening season, and so completely unorganized at the start?

Daughter Amy brought cupcakes yesterday. She saw a cupcake container....I saw a seed starting container! Perfect for starting tomatoes in the small plastic Dixie cups!

Two of the Mini Gold tomato seeds (from Ed),that I want to grow inside to mature ripe fruits, were planted in the only two cups I could find. When I locate the rest of my stash, they will be joined by parsley and Johnny Jump Ups. That's about all I can start this early, since I don't grow my own onions from seed.

Son John stopped by with a pretty potted miniature rose bush and card for my birthday.

January 26, 2012 - It's a Done Deal

Well, crap....I don't look 73, I look 93!

We watched Justin Bieber's Never Say Never. I heart the Biebs! Good heavens, his parents look like they're about 18 years old!

I got the plant shelf I wanted. I usually get what I want ;-)

We'll go out for dinner tomorrow. I already have spaghetti sauce simmering for tonight's dinner, with home made tomato sauce of course. I'll want to spend this evening putting that new shelving unit together!

January 26, 2012 - Today's Birthday's

Today's Birthdays

Suleman octuplets - 3

Kherington Payne - 22

Kirk Franklin - 42

Wayne Gretzky - 51

Anita Baker - 54

Ellen DeGeneres - 54

Eddie Van Halen - 57

Lucinda Williams - 59

Gene Siskel - 66

Angela Davis - 68

Scott Glenn - 70

Bob Uecker - 77

Jules Feiffer - 83

Paul Newman - 87

Anne Jeffreys - 89

Douglas MacArthur - 132

Annie's Granny - 73

Mr. Granny wanted to take me out for a birthday dinner tonight, but granddaughter Alicyn wants to come over today and bring "10 movies" for us to watch. I hope that, in her 3-year-old world, that means no more than two movies! I know I'm in for Harry and the Hendersons and Justin Bieber's Never say Never. Two of my favorites....nothing is too deep for Granny's tastes, LOL!

I put a photo up on the computer last night, and showed Mr. Granny to what I really want for my birthday.

I know none of you would be surprised or shocked to know I would find this very attractive in my bedroom, in front of the window, with four shop lights hanging from the wire shelves and seedlings snuggled warmly beneath them. It's really the only place I'd have room for such a wide unit. In past years, I've always had my seedlings in the mini greenhouse in the shed or garage, but it's awfully cold out there, so I have to keep heat under the flats 24 hours a day. If I have them in the house, that eliminates the need for heat. It's only temporary decor, of course. By April everything could go back out in the shed.

January 24, 2012 - The Season Begins!

The first garden seeds of 2012 were planted last night.

A hot glue gun, minus the glue stick, makes short work of making drainage holes in the bottoms of some plastic yogurt cups.

The yogurt cups and a bakery container were used for the first seeds of the season.

The yogurt cups were filled with potting mix and watered well with warm water. Four celery seeds (Tall Utah #527OR, Improved) were planted in each cup, and covered with a thin layer of dry vermiculite. I used the same potting mix to make the soil blocks. The bakery container held nine blocks, and these were planted with some Red Sails lettuce seeds that were left over from last year's seeds. I put two seeds in each block, as I'm not sure how good the germination will be with these older seeds. The flat containing the seeds was placed on a rope light for extra warmth.

The seeds were covered with a plastic dome to maintain the humidity. They will remain under the dome, on my bathroom counter, until the tiny seedlings emerge. They will then be moved to the laundry room window and placed under a grow light.

This is my first try at growing celery. Keep your fingers crossed!