Texas Rain is Big, and My Garden is Getting Started

Stan's TX rain garden. Look close, you'll see a few veggies.

One of my Facebook friends, Stan, lives in Texas, not too far from the Gulf, and he's really been groaning about the fact that he hasn't finished planting his garden yet.

A narrow island of plants surviving the flood at Stan's

I think Stan has had a great excuse. It's been raining in his neck of the woods. Not just a sprinkling. Not just a downpour now and then. The rain has been coming down like a monsoon! Practically non-stop for weeks! I think he mentioned getting 5 inches in one hour the other day, and 30 inches overnight.

I don't think Stan is the only one sick of all the rain. Recently he posted that the crayfish are so fed up of the rain, they've been crawling up on his deck to get out of the flood. And evidently, the Ark is nowhere in sight!

A break in the rain reveals Stan's soggy garden area

Well, as gardens go, I don't have an excuse as good as Stan's! Normally, I'd have started my container garden in late February, and my main summer crops would be in-ground by late March or early April. But I still haven't planted anything... not even the 30 lettuce plants I bought last month!

Our van, loaded down with veggies and blueberry bushes

I haven't felt like getting on my hands and knees in the dirt this year, and I have only two excuses to explain myself.

First, it seems like my time hasn't been my own for quite a while. I don't get up each day and decide how I'm going to use my time. I get up each day, check the calendar, and race to keep up with everything that's already been decided. There are various doctor visits for John and Dad, dental visits for John and me, Landlord duties, and a plethora of other responsibilities concerning family and the farm, all necessary and important, and I don't begrudge a single one of them! But I have no me time.

By that I mean I have no leisure time. As full as my life is, I have a bit of a hole in my life where pleasant, leisurely personal activities should be thriving. I'd love to have some free time to paint again, or make homemade creams and lotions, go to yard sales and flea markets, or finally make that quilt that I've been wanting to make for years out of Barry's old Hawaiian shirts. I did make the time to go to some thrift stores recently, but the whole time I felt rushed to get back home and get back to work!

Secondly, I haven't felt like planting a garden this year. I'm usually sitting down, finally, when John comes in and mentions the garden; and sitting down, tired, I can't muster the interest in deciding if and when we need to start a garden. My age and health are a big part of this problem, but after some thought, I've decided that I must have some unacknowledged resentment over the combination of my health and my lack of me time. Maybe too, my attitude has been some form of passive aggressive behavior, and realizing this, finally, it became necessary for me to take steps to snap out of it!

Plenty of veggies to plant now

Having a garden isn't a choice here, it's a necessity. We can't afford to skip it this year just because I don't feel like it. Even though there is a significant cash outlay to purchase transplants, in the long run, growing our own vegetables, then freezing and canning them, frees up our finances for other necessities; and, just as important, we know the foods we are growing and eating are healthy and chemical free. There is no chance that our grapes will be harboring pesticides in their skins, and no chance that our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants will make us sick because of these same pesticides, or mishandling between field and store.

So I knew when I woke up this morning that today was the day I would take the leap. I drove John to the dentist this morning to get a new crown on one of his teeth. Afterwards, I suggested we go to the Garden Center at Home Depot, just across the parking lot.  We started with tomatoes, lots of tomatoes, then squash and zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, sweet peppers, hot peppers and cantaloup. Then I threw our budget to the wind and we picked up four blueberry bushes, a couple of years old and already fruiting. Last year, the twig in a tube of dirt didn't pan out for us.

We stuffed our van full and drove home in a light rain (nothing like Stan has been experiencing in Texas). We put everything out on tables to catch the rain, and I was delighted with the variety of plants and their beauty. I felt myself stirring with the anticipation of choosing beds and planting ... yes, being on my hands and knees in the dirt.

I've taken the leap! The veggie plants are here. The garden is waiting. The clock is ticking until they're in the ground.

So I'm all in for the garden this year! How about you?

Five Acre Farm

I've been living in Georgia for 13 years. The last seven of those years have been spent here at Five Acre Farm, just northeast of Atlanta. Winters here have been varied, usually cold, with some warm spells, sometimes cold and wet, and usually, just before winter takes its last bow, we get a light snow or ice storm in late February or early March.

This year, however, winter has been exceptionally warm, and frequently wet. For the most part, temperatures have remained in the 60s, even the 70s, and rainy. Every couple of weeks we've had a cold spell, with rain, and temperatures dropping into the 50s, 40s, or even as low as the upper 30s for a couple of days at a time. When it isn't raining, it's usually overcast more days than not.

We had a huge storm yesterday morning, and then, surprisingly, the sun came out for just a little while. I ran outside with my camera and took a few pictures of the house and garden. I don't have many clear shots of the house. In the spring and summer the trees and flowering bushes are so full, you can hardly see the house.

As you can see from the photo above, the house isn't some romantic old farmhouse (I wish). It's just a manufactured home that my late father-in-law placed on the land when he cleared it some 27 years ago. His vision was not a working farm, but a comfortable home and a little bit of land to work when he felt like it.

My father-in-law's landscape plan for the area around the house was ingenious! The first rays of morning sun come up from the bottom of our property, the bulk of which is beyond that bank of naked forsythia bushes in the photo at left. Even in the hottest part of summer, it can be reasonably cool at the back of the house early in the morning. The sun is practically over the house before we feel the real heat, and that's a good thing since the summertime sun in Georgia is hot and intense!

At the front of the house, which faces southwest, a bank of tall Poplar trees, naked in the wintertime, let the warm rays of sun through; but in the summertime, when they're full, they block the harshest rays and provide a rich, dappled shade that lets in just enough sunlight to feed the camelia bushes, azaleas, crepe myrtles, and other flowering plants. Besides being beautiful and comfortable, this layout of the property means our heating and air conditioning bills are very modest, which works for us on our limited income.

Here are a few older shots of the farm in spring and summer.
(Left) View from the road, looking up the driveway. (Right) Azaleas and Camelias blooming at the front of the house. (Below Left) The back of the house. (Below Right) The Poplar trees in the front.

It's Raining, It's Pouring, and I'm Really Getting Grumpy

John and I have had a few appointments away from home this week, but not as many as usual. You'd think this would have been a good week to work in the garden, but no; it's been raining all week (more like the last month), everything from downpours to drizzle, to misty little rains. Actually, this rain has been nearly continuous since early spring. Quite a change, as I've been accustomed to a short season of rain before the Georgia drought settled in.

Anyway, even this morning I had to go out in a drizzly rain to feed the chickens. And because we can't mow wet grass, the grass in the yard has grown to more than knee-high. As a child, I was not one to go out and play in the rain. As an adult, I am still not inclined to do so. Like this morning, I go out into the rain when I have to. Otherwise, I can admire the rain from the safety of indoors, or a covered patio.

So I haven't been able to spend much time in the garden - not more than enough for a walk-through inspection. Here's what I know about my garden right now:

• I really need to get tomato cages up. I've got a few up, but there are still plenty of tomato plants starting to sprawl across the ground.
• The watermelon plants seem to be growing very slowly.
• The cantaloupe and pumpkin are growing thick and reaching out tentatively to spread.
• Strong winds broke off one or two of the pepper plants, but they are still growing.
• Some of the cucumber vines are starting to climb up the old windmill I set up for them, but they have a long way to go.
  
• To my amazement, the broccoli plants in my container garden are finally having a decent show of heads.
• I have two banana pepper plants in containers that have grown three feet tall and need support; but they have some beautiful big peppers on them.
  
• A third banana pepper is stunted and drowning in a pot without drainage.
  
• My container garden on the front deck is crowded.
  

It's this last point that has been getting to me the most in the last few weeks. Every time I have stepped out onto the deck to work in my container garden, it starts to rain. Then, it stops shortly after I give up and go back inside. By then, however, I am into some other project indoors and don't think about going back outside.

Yesterday I was trying to transplant some herb plants I'd bought the day before. I managed to transplant two before a misty little drop here and there became a drizzly downpour. I was determined to keep working in spite of the rain, and managed to also transplant three bush cucumber plants into large containers. At that point, I needed more room on the deck. I stepped around to the side of the deck to remove a large planter with two broccoli in it. I debated calling on John for help several times before I decided I could do it myself. It was just one turn and two steps to the spot where I wanted to put the container.

What I didn't notice, once I had the huge, heavy pot in my arms, was the stair railing. John took down the stairs last year to keep the dogs off the deck and out of the plants, but he didn't take down the railing, which was hiding in the tall grass. I tripped over that and some timbers he'd left on the ground, and went down with the big pot still in my arms. I hit my thigh on some wood in the grass, my neck on the railing, and my face on the edge of the table my herbs are on. My gardening efforts were quite suddenly over for the day.

I went inside, drenched and hurting, and climbed into a warm shower. There is some swelling around my left eye, but no bruising. The back, left side of my neck is very sore and showing a long narrow bruise, and my left thigh is sore.

On a brighter note, on Friday, John had the wonderful idea for us to go on a date! We drove over to Lawrenceville to the $1.99 movie theater to see Nicholas Cage in "Knowing." We've never been to that theater and thought it would be a nice inexpensive treat. (Laughing now, you'll know why later!)

We didn't call ahead to check the movie time until we were already on the road and on our way. We discovered that we were way too early for the movie - three hours too early. So we decided to have an early dinner. Along the way, however, we spotted a plant nursery, and John pulled in. Unplanned free time is a dangerous thing sometimes.

My senses were overwhelmed by the beauty I encountered. Heavenly scents! Stunning color! Textures! The delicate flower shapes! The various shades of green! And I couldn't afford any of it! Well, not until I stepped back outside and saw the wide variety of herbs in 4.5 inch pots for $3.95 each. I still couldn't afford them, but at that price, I could not afford to pass them up. So I decided on 10 herbs, making sure all had culinary uses:

Ginger Mint
Golden Oregano
Winter Savory
Chives
Lemon Verbena
Red Creeping Thyme
Purple Basil
Tansy
Archer's Gold Thyme
Sorrel
Chives

I already have:
Rosemary
Oregano
Lemon Thyme
Lavender
Sweet Basil
Curly Parsley
Flat Leaf Parsley
Coriander
Dill
Sage
Stevia

It was really nice to see the variety of herbs at the nursery we visited. I didn't think I could find that significant a variety locally, and was very pleased. If anyone in Georgia is interested, the place is:

Still Lake Nursery
745 Scenic Hwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
770-962-1880

We ate at Burger King in Snellville, and then hustled over the theater. We enjoyed the movie, but discussed the ending extensively. It was interesting, but (I thought) weak.

The whole evening cost us about $60.00 (insert laughter here). Not cheap at all, but we brought more home than empty drink cups this time!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Paramenopause is a pain in the b..... well (ladies), you know. But combine it with diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome, and I am trying to go uphill against the wind. I've always been forward-moving, highly organized, and detail-oriented (I can catch details others never see!). However, these days, my concentration and focus are frequently lagging, and my energy level can vary significantly; lately, it's been running quite low. As much as I want to be outside in my garden, I struggle to motivate myself to get there, even knowing I will feel better if I make myself go, and work in the dirt. Though I was quick to purchase plants early in the season, however, I am falling behind at getting them into the garden.

Aside from the fact that the garden bed wasn't ready for planting until mid-April, it hasn't helped that my see-saw energy level has been competing with many rainy days for time in the garden. We've had more rain this spring than we've had in 3-5 years total. Living in a state that has been in an official drought for 7 years or so now, I am grateful for the rain, but it can be equally, a gardener's blessing and bane.

Once the garden was ready for planting, my first priority was to get the tomato plants into the ground. John and I together accomplished that one clear morning two weeks ago. No sooner had we finished planting and watering however, than it started raining!

At this point, all of the tomatoes are doing very well, growing steadily, and even bearing small green fruit. If all goes well, we should get a nice tomato harvest this year. I certainly hope so, considering we've planted 35 tomato plants!

This morning was my next opportunity to get out in the garden. I haven't been sleeping well at night, being mostly wakeful after 4 a.m. So on this day I decided to go ahead and get up instead of rolling around in the bed for several more hours. I had an 11 a.m. medical appointment, and I thought I'd see what I could accomplish before it was time to go.

It was just after 6 a.m. when I rose, dressed, and carried kitchen scraps and feed to the chickens. I removed their night covering and they scrambled into the daylight, pouncing joyfully on the feed when I tossed it all in. I watched them for a little while (a delightful passtime I have adopted), and then decided to work in the garden.

I decided a few days ago that I needed to get the melons in the ground next. I'd had a false start yesterday, when I suddenly lost energy before I could get the melons planted, and had to retreat to the house to lie down. So this morning, while the morning was still cool, and the sun had not yet risen over the trees at the bottom of 5 Acre Farm, and I felt okay, I tried again.

On my hands and knees, crawling through the dirt from one end of the 32' garden to the other, I managed to plant nine Watermelon, three Cantaloupe, and two Buttercup Squash Pumpkin plants! I felt good as I began the task, and I still felt good when it was done.

It was 8:30 a.m. by then, so I went inside, woke John, and got into the shower to clean up. We made it to my appointment on time, then spent the afternoon running errands. We got home around 6:00 p.m., and I threw a quick dinner together while John fed the chickens, the dogs, and the pig. Then we rushed out for a gathering at the church we recently began visiting.

It's been a good day. A day I am grateful for. A day in which I can say I did something productive for a change. I hope tomorrow can be another good day.

I've got a lot of peppers to plant next.

And oh, yes, it rained again today. It started just before we left for my appointment, and it has drizzled on and off all day and into the night where a steady, light downfall, gently hitting the roof and tin awning, will soon be lulling me to sleep.