The Toy Box (the return)

I also go by seasonal ques. When crocuses sprout it is time to plant Fava Beans. Most cold weather food can be planted when Maples have their first tiny leaves. But tradition still rules my season. St Patrick’s day is for potatoes (and peas if I missed the Presidents Birthday). April Fool's for greens and the broccoli family (direct seed). May Day for starting tropical’s, like peppers and eggplant, inside so they are ready to plant out in mid June. Memorial Weekend for nearly everything else. If I go strictly by tradition, then corn has to wait until a man can sit in only a loin-cloth on the bare dirt for 20 minutes without pain. (One of my great grandmothers was a Blackfoot Indian, that one came from her). My guys are Scottish....maybe they will go out in a kilt (I've actually seen what they wear under them)

This paragraph was GOLD!

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:

I also go by seasonal ques. When crocuses sprout it is time to plant Fava Beans. Most cold weather food can be planted when Maples have their first tiny leaves. But tradition still rules my season. St Patrick’s day is for potatoes (and peas if I missed the Presidents Birthday). April Fool's for greens and the broccoli family (direct seed). May Day for starting tropical’s, like peppers and eggplant, inside so they are ready to plant out in mid June. Memorial Weekend for nearly everything else. If I go strictly by tradition, then corn has to wait until a man can sit in only a loin-cloth on the bare dirt for 20 minutes without pain. (One of my great grandmothers was a Blackfoot Indian, that one came from her). My guys are Scottish....maybe they will go out in a kilt (I've actually seen what they wear under them)

This paragraph was GOLD!

Amen. May have to frame this one. Debs, if I do, will you autograph it for me??

I enjoy greatly reading the members here on the forum who have tradition in their blood passed down from great grandparents, grandparents and parents.

Maybe someday I will be the grandma passing all these things I learn over the years to my grandchildren.

It is amazing (and sad) to me what has been lost in just a few generations. I hope I can be a part of getting some of it back.

It's hard to even picture myself a grandmother...but 2 years ago I wasn't a gardener either.

Keep on typing Lavender..I love it!

Jeannie, it will amaze you when the time comes and all that information rattling around up there in your brain comes back to you and you are passing it along to future generations. I'll just be talking to my 5yo grandson and all those memories and generational information just start pouring out. I did not find out until I started teaching cake decorating 5 years ago that my mom's parents used to do cakes, she would bake them and he would decorate them. I now have some of their old cake pans, next to my other grandmothers kitchen aid mixer.

Oopsie! I was oh-so-careful in labeling my tomato seedlings and writing down their location on a "map" as I was transplanting them...until I lost the map. Think it may have gone through the wash. The fact that some have potato leaves helped jog my memory on some of them and I think I've got most of them figured out...we'll see when they start producing! (Getting my first flowering branches here)

I giggled aloud at, "buy a vowel" I love this thread!

I love following this thread. Complete opposite end of the world from me, and interesting to see what is up

I can't wait to see pictures of your Purple Peacock. That's one I hope to try in the future. For this year I'm excited to see what comes of my purple sprouting broccoli.

Ok, you've really inspired me to get out there and get to planting! I've got some seedlings that are quite sad and leggy under the grow lights. If we could just get some sun around here I'd put them in a sunny window, but we are due to get a little rain today.

There is of course, one little hitch in my gardening plan.... MY COMPOST ISN'T HERE YET!!!!

It is a week late! Seems every time they get ready to deliver it it starts to rain! It's supposed to be delivered today, but guess what... IT'S GOING TO RAIN!!!! Mother nature can be so cruel sometimes...

lavender Debs wrote
Squish. That is the sound I make as I walk about the garden. Squish. The wind blows assertively while optimistic birds sing on the hillside just over the fence. I've come to the garden because I am unwilling to turn off the TV news of the Japanese tragedy and my heart needs a moment to pray. I must say how grateful I am that my garden squishes. It has not been buried under a thirty foot wall of salty sludge that will render it useless for years. It just squishes. (last I heard, Hanford was still acting tame). I have buckets of rainwater, electricity to run the washer and dryer, the gas burns freely only in the fireplace and I am not wondering about the status of loved ones. Life is still Good.

I am just the opposite. I had to turn the TV off. I lived in Japan for 3 years and my son lived there for 7. All our friends have left and we were in the southwest (Yokusuka Navy Base) and not in the path, but I loved the country and I just can't stand to actually see the devastation. I have to say agree, life is still good.

Kay

The Sun came out.

Let me say it again, The sun came out. Not for long. I noticed that it was bright out, snatched the kitchen garbage and tip-toed out the door, not wanting to scare the rare sun back into hiding. I think the bag of garbage must have frightened it just a little. My lens isn't dirty; those are big drops in the sunshine.

I had already filled the wheelbarrow with vermiculite to add to the compost and peat in the blue pool. (Bomber got a pretty new one). It takes about 4 to 5 pools full of MM to fill a 4x4. I just pour everything in, take my flat shovel and circle the pool two times, turning as I go, almost like folding really heavy egg whites into a serious bowl of waffle batter.

One pool full of MM, gobs more to go. I don't really need this box until early April. Her twin should be ready by early May. I'll still need MM to fill all those tomato tubs. I'm out of peat for now. I know I will need more vermiculate and probably will have to buy more compost fixens. There isn't enough in my little bins for these monster boxes. This is so Kewl! I thought I had one more bag of premixed compost from last year but it turned out to be a bag of bark. Yea! Now I can cover the area between box 3 and 5.

@windrider; thank you, that is really kind.
@miinva; you have purple sprouting broccoli? Is it ready? In the PNW we plan to eat it in spring. It has been a long time since I've thought about PSB, I should get it on my fall list.
@dizzy; WooT! I love that you are ready! I've never met "mother nature" but I have heard of her. Sometimes I pitch a fit right to my Creators face, he is so patient, like the loving husband of a spoiled bride. He always looks for my best even when He knows I am not looking to his best, but just wanting to get my own way. Even so, I hope you get what you want in big buckets shoveled out with joy.

And Kay....my very soul aches for you! Most of the Japanese I hang with come from Hawaii. Those I know who spend lots of time in Japan are round-eyes who work for Boeing. Your heart is showing and it is beautiful. You have a perspective I will never know. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

Deborah.....Did Steve Pool just say something about small hail?

Yes, and I'd be happy to send you some seed if you'd like some, just PM your address I haven't planted it yet. I read that it's not harvested like 'normal' broccoli, but I'm not sure when to plant it.

'Slick' she says!

And yesterday's favorite son got what cooked for dinner?!

LavDeb, bring your fresh bread on over and we'll spread some just got,real honey all over it, or we can just use the tortillas I am about to make in a bit. Hubby is beside himself with joy over all the honey he got extracting a hive the other day, that hive is in "MY" garden area and my kitchen is sticky....

FarmerValerie wrote:LavDeb, bring your fresh bread on over and we'll spread some just got,real honey all over it, or we can just use the tortillas I am about to make in a bit. Hubby is beside himself with joy over all the honey he got extracting a hive the other day, that hive is in "MY" garden area and my kitchen is sticky....

Oh Girl! I LOVE fresh from the comb honey!!!

So, you are making tortillas? Awesome. I made my first flour tortillas just the other day, the guys went bug-nuts for them ummm-um! One of the guys ordered a tortilla press for my day, it should be here any time now. I'm so physced! (is that spelled right?)

Debs....REALLY in the mood for cinnamon-honey fresh tortillas.....or maybe just some fish taco's with the pea-shoots and honey sauce.

Yep, got chicken in the Forman Rotissere oven, and gonna whip up some fresh tortilla mix, let it sit, then roll them out (flour) and heat 'em up.

I love pea shoots! I hadn't thought to eat them until a local deli did a sandwich with them and they were so tasty

Only a fellow SFG'r would understand your excitement. Congrats & Happy Birthday.

Thanks Dixie!

Boxes 5 and 6 are pretty much done. Box 5 is ready. But I stole mix from box 6 for my potatoes. Ray helped make the MM. It goes so much faster when two people work on the mix using a big tarp. It still took all day.

I had planned on planting all those onions in the center of box 5 but I was just bushed by the time I (we) filled the boxes and planted potatoes. The yard is still too wet to mow and the weed whacker is broken but it IS starting to look like someone cares. I still need to spread bark between the boxes and thread the string. If the weather holds, that will get done tomorrow.

Deborah...glad I don't have to make dinner tonight (must go down's with a glass of wine)

Beautiful day! All day long there was blue somewhere above my head. Saw the first pretty sunrise this morning in a long time. 52/38 Full moon tonight.