GREEN IS GOOD

Vivid verdant green makes the grass glow as is rises upward after a springtime thunderstorm with lightening. Mmm, the smell of damp ionized air. The odd orange tinge to the sunshine makes the green even more intense. After an extra long winter, spring is extra sweet.

It can be a bit tricky to start seedlings inside but I have learned to be fairly successful. Sometimes I still lose some to either over or under-watering but the vast majority survive. It is a lot cheaper to raise plants from seed rather than purchase them at a store. Another method to save funds is to reuse potting soil, however, it must be baked to destroy the nasty microbes, which may kill the fragile seedlings. I baked several pans of soil and had to throw open the doors because the oven now spews evil carbon monoxide.

During February I started peppers and tomatoes. During March I propagated broccoli and eggplants. During April herbs were sprouted. Last year the entire vegetable garden was planted before the first of May. This year, we had snow and frost well into May. I began prepping the bed but delayed planting until I knew the precious plants would not perish in the chill.

Many of the tomatoes became rather “leggy” which means long stems with few leaves because I couldn’t plant them until Memorial Day weekend. The soil still felt cool so I doubt if the plants will grow very much when their “feet” are chilly. We have had a lot of rainy or cloudy days so that is also delaying the growth.

The vegetable garden will feed me later this summer. I don’t have money to buy items at the grocery store. The food shelf offers some fruits and veggies but most of them are damaged in some way or starting to rot. If I grow extra produce, I drop it off at the food shelf. Puttering in the garden is relaxing. I like to watch plants grow, though I could do without the weeds. I even enjoy listening to the oscillating hum of lawn mowers as they prune grass. It is tedious to cut my own lawn, which is why ¾ of the land is either perennials or veggies. Too bad we can’t have grazing animals in town to trim the grass…

Dig In!
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