Herbs and Greens!

These are my current focus/ obsession. I have begun dill, chives, oregano, and lavender in a mini seed starter greenhouse on the dining room table. I have sown greens anywhere I believe I may get them to grow. We have become a family of diligent label readers once again, I have decided label free products will save us time and be better for us. The  move to the PNW somehow made us more relaxed about our purchasing and consumption habits. I equate it with going away to school for me, and a year long holiday with the 'rents for Husband Man. It's taken the fact that our son now needs to share everything we eat for me to awaken out of the coma of corn syrup, processed foods, and inhumanly raised livestock. I shook it off quickly though, I still feel grubby from the last year of ick, but all the salad and kombucha should help get me back in balance. I will welcome back the healthier metabolism too, hopefully that will be close on my heals soon.

Getting in touch with the land and watching greens pop up or flowers open has helped to reconnect me to myself. Today I will arrange my seeds by season of sowing...tomorrow after the dentist I have a date with dirt!

oh, there's the worm bin!

Our new home and yard are at times very overwhelming, my husband and I have a gaggle of phrases that have become mini mantras. There's the classics "baby steps" and "one project at a time", or his favorite "we have time to do that later." Due to this wonderfully relaxed attitude sometimes when I'm missing something I don't realize it's missing until I find it. This was a wonderful and odd discovery as the worm bin had been sitting neglected in plain view of many vantages including the back door, back steps, while crouching by the pond, from the bbq area, walking in the back gate, and many other obviously heavily trafficked areas. The joy inside made me giddy, I sat poking and mixing with a recently fell branch from the black walnut that is shading our back slab, I felt child like. I watched worms dive for cover as I mixed in leftover greens and coffee grounds. There is a plant in my yard I am afraid of, not in the human eating nightmare scenario sort of way. The fear is based on the fact that the fronds of this somewhat attractive shrubby-do are razor sharp, human flesh is butter in it's hands. I took advantage of the late June hoodie weather and hacked away at it this afternoon. I am happy to say that with the help of a single trusty rubber coated glove, a long sweatshirt and jeans I returned from the job unscathed. I also tried to pick a fight with some generally serene bumble bees while trimming the unruly swampland that is my side yard. I must admit all the trimming is really so the new inhabitant of the pond cannot so effectively hide him or her self from view. Well there's the baby more later...big update with pictures.

la dee da and so it goes...

 This is a shameful excuse for a current and up to date blog, but it is finally spring here in the PNW and we have been outside. I love outside, Che LOVES outside. Ghetto Farms is being slightly classed up by Husband Man. We are really on the way, baby steps...teeny tiny baby steps.

My secret inner goals want to erupt all over the page but I find that inner determination vs creative desire is sometimes a hard call.  

I'm building a wall and for once not metaphorically, I am literally building a wall as part of my raised bed revolution. I'm feeling industrious as I clean up randomly buried "treasures" during this revolt on mass produced or imported edibles. We have big plans we say, we have big plans! (and one day we will write it on the moon)

A Week and a Half of Post Card Weather...

   The splendid and mild weather as of late has been helpful in keeping this urban farmer productive, and yes, I am nearly a farmer (of the urban sort as noted above).  There are three and a half tomato plants thriving in re-purposed containers in ghetto farms, potatoes of the Yukon and purple variety are nestled in right next to them in their own re-purposed containers. A sweet find was obtained from the local Grocery Outlet as well, an easy to assemble seed starting greenhouse, this was a two nap operation that included extra things like wire to keep the shelves level but it's up and amazing now. I've already started some horseradish and garlic bulbs, next to start the watermelon and the plethora of flowers I just couldn't resist on sale 2 packs of seeds for a dollar.

    This really has been a productive week, the small area designated as GF (Ghetto Farms) is nearly unrecognizable. Below are some before shots taken about five days ago.

  There you have it, a mess left by the previous owners and now as a moment of zen....The Pond!

Thank you, sorry for the short entry. Updates after the big birthday fun time in Newport, Or. where I will surely procure some sort of vegetative little friend whether or not it's on the level.

The Adventure that is my new yard!

Every morning there is a surprise in my lovely new yard here in the PNW. Growing up in Florida I became accustomed to tropical plants and all their splendor, here it's been fun to discover an entirely new eco-system. There are still your common annoyances (dandelion all over and tufts of grass always seem to find a way into the flower beds), but there are also some crazy weeds I've never before encountered. During a recent weeding adventure under a big tree in the front yard I found a plant that pops it's seeds when touched. I eradicated most of what was present but the little brat of a plant made sure it would be an on going battle, next season I'll be sure to get them before they go to seed. 

Currently for edibles we've got several varieties of lettuce, some red onions, yukon and purple potatoes, and some violets that I hope to make into jellies. Something I heard about on the fantastic site yougrowgirl.com, where Gayla Trail inspires the gardening world. I'm hoping to get a few varieties of tomato into some raised boxes we dug out of a heap behind our back house. Re-purpose, re-purpose, re-purpose that's how we roll! 

I've also been pruning the many rose bushes randomly planted all around the property, we're all waiting to see what colors they'll be. I'm actually less excited about that than my mother who will have to live thru pictures as she is in NC. Another fun and exciting aspect of the yard that is a bundle of surprises is the pond, which just yesterday attracted what I believe to be a couple of frogs. They have a disturbing duet they like to croak out around midnight, I suppose like the traffic I will grow accustomed to their serenades. 

The sun is finally saying goodnight and I would like to use the last few moments of dusk to enjoy some tea on the porch so I will say goodbye.