Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Growing Things

Yesterday morning was spent with the girls out planting our garden we were not going to have this year. I have never been very successful at the whole growing plants thing. My mom can turn any yard into a beautiful tumble of flowers. I, on the other hand can barely keep anything but weeds alive. But, hubby started it. He bought MB some sunflower seeds, so we had to go out and start clearing the raised bed. We noticed that the basil I had ignored last year was really going to town and we had a bumper crop growing. At Wa*mart on Sunday they had pepper plants marked down so I picked up a couple, along with cucumbers (which seem to do okay with my neglect), lavender and sage.

It was so nice out yesterday, cloudy and not hot, that we decided to clean out another bed and start preparing it for some fall crops. The girls loved finding all the bugs that were under the 2-yr old leaf mulch. I think I am going to a one of those composter barrels to my birthday wish list.

After lunch we pulled out some of my old vegetable gardening books and started researching plants we would want in our late season bed (These will be planted between July and September here). We visited the Agriculture Extension pages for the state and learned even more. We still haven't decided what we would put to the best use, but at least we are in the process.

I also decided to bite the bullet and do something I have been thinking about for awhile. I love sprouts in my sandwhiches instead of lettuce (I like to use baby spinach too, but get a little tired of it). Sprouts are either hard to find or expensive for what you get. Since we homeschool I figured a sprouter could be both educational and practical for us. So I purchased this kit to get us started. We should get it next week. The site also has some very interesting recipes to use the sprouts.

After yesterday I have a list of things that I would like to do - but will never happen:

1. I want a bee hive. I have always loved these things. Pollination for my plants and free honey! Unfortunately, hubby is allergic to bee stings. It won't happen.

2. Keep rabbits and harvest their poop for fertilizer. Yeah, people really do this and you can sell the poop - it is wonderful to use in the garden. I got information about last year at the State Fair. Hubby's response - "eewwhhh!"

3. I don't know if I would do this or not, it is much more possible than the other two. But I would love to have blueberry bushes. They seem to be somewhat hard to get and difficult to care for.


Today, we have a big day. We are having our ultrasound today!!! Hubby is coming home early from work so that he can actually go this time. We will take MB and K with us. EM is going to have quality time with grandmommy.

Be back to let ya'll know later.

Peace,

Amy

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Spring hill nursery has blue berry bushes and I want to get some for my front yard. they will even grow in containers and turn even more red than burning bush in the fall. Try this link: http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_30073

I want to get them someday. I have had good luck with the plants I have gotten through them. I have had a clemetis, a meyers lemon tree and forget-me-nots. My Clemetis didn't flower last year (i later learned that it takes them 2 seasons before they flower) but it hung on through all the heat of summer. My Lemon Tree bloomed for the first time about 2 months ago. I was sad cause I got no lemons then it bloomed again about a month or so ago and now I have 4 lemons that I think are going to mature one is getting to be almost quarter sized. I have no idea how big meyers lemons are supposed to get. My forget-me-nots did well until my mother forgot (pun bad and intended) that they were perrenial and yanked them out with the dead annuals last fall. Oops.

I always have liked plants from Homewood Nursery in N. Raleigh as far as veggies and herbs go. I often end up grabbing stuff at home depot or Lowe's as well. The lowes in Clayton had really nice plants last year. My hibiscus survived the winter in it's pot and flowered all winter long.

I am so not a plant person. But I try.

We've not seen you all in ages. Do you ever go to park days or anything anymore? We'll be at Kids Together tomorrow morning if it isn't raining.

A family of six living and learning. You might catch us outside in the mud or working on crafts. We always seem to be on the go, come on and join us.