'Bout Danged Time

Finally got the garden fully planted. Weird spring weather made it later than usual. Note my post from last spring when just the opposite was the case. Climate change is really making farming predictions tough. Made a few notable changes based on my extremely long learning curve. Chucked the potato boxes (well, not the boxes just the spuds). The weather was so cold so late I wasn't able to get my taters in the tubs before the eyes were two feet long. Spent a lot on those heirloom French fingerlings when I bought them from Seed Savers a couple of years ago. Oh well, when harvested, they weighed in at about five bucks per (and they were fingerlings, mind you.

So this is what I did instead: Herbs and onions. 

Herb box number 2.

Onions galore.

My salad greens and winter squash box (right). Note the lettuces in the back left that wintered over. In the left box, summer squashes (blue, green and yellow petit pans) and brassicas. Several varieties of chard as well that are too wee to see. Straight back of the salad box is an entire bed of garlic. A fantastic heirloom variety that I've grown for the past three years.

I finally added a border to the rather unsightly borderless patch of grass I had before. These were some nice and friggin' heavy limestone pieces taken out of the back yard when we built the new garage a couple years back.

This is what I mean about unsightly.

Much better me thinks. And a heckuva lot easier to mow.

Back in Mac

This post should actually be dated mid-April, but I had my nine-year-old MacBook Pro in for a graphics issue, and that turned into a month of no computer. They kept second-guessing the problem, first a graphic's cable, then a new LCD, then a graphics chip on the logic (mother) board, then a new mother board after they destroyed the old one trying to fix the graphics chip. They admitted their mistake and charged me only for the LCD, cable, and while there were in there, a new battery. Grand total: $350. About half the cost of a new logic board, and about a tenth the cost of this Mac when I bought it nine years ago. The upside is that this 'ol quasi-extinct 17-inch hunk of unibody should be good for another nine years. SO, this post is old news, but I will persevere. Now back to the garden.

First, just what the hell is this shot of? It's a shot of me transplanting a mini ¾-inch soil block into a 2-inch soil block, that's what. And a hard shot to make, with only two hands.

Newly transplanted mini blocks.

This year, I limited myself to 16 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, herbs, brassicas, onions, peppers, and marigolds.

Globally Warmed Garden

Off to a quick start this year. Thanks global warming. In fact, the garden is at least a month ahead of schedule. We might be able to plant in February next year. Scary.

The transplanted blueberry bushes (three in the foreground, one off camera at the back) are showing signs they'll bear fruit this year.

Squash trellis bottom right. They're still not tall enough to climb, but soon.

Been eating greens for awhile already. The bib lettuce in front actually wintered over. My fifteen tomato plants are almost two feet tall already.

Fennel and herbs, tomatoes in the background.

Raspberries and blackberries in the foreground. Garlic in the middle background.

The hastas under the burr oak should be okay, but those in the background, along with the hydrangeas, will again feel the heat as I cut Doug the fir tree down last year. They will have to bide their time until the peach and apple trees among them reach their full potential.

Spring Green

With the exception of the garlic box, these beds were planted over three weeks ago and they're all doing quite well. The covers have been on until today's short unveiling. The covers will go back on until the plants are big enough to withstand the bunny onslaught, perhaps in a month or so.

The garlic was planted last november and wintered over nicely. Should be ready to harvest in two or three months.

On Vacation for Three-and-a-Half Months

During the winter months, I replaced gardening and bicycling with hiking in our winter home, Arizona. Here's a link to that blog: Tramping Through Hill and Dale. Check back here in March for any new garden updates.

Berry Long Boxes (Part 2)

After leveling and placing the boxes, I set about constructing the trellis structure from which to hang the canes. These would be constructed of 4"x4" cedar, 3.5 feet tall, and 2.5 feet wide. 

It helps to have a table saw for the dado cuts. I didn't actually use a dado blade as I was too lazy to put it together. However, a single saw blade makes fairly quick work of it anyway.

Cross pieces finished. The dado for the vertical pieces will have to wait until assembly in the yard as I will have to cut the verticals to length beforehand.

After the verticals are buried in the ground, I cut them each to the same height—four feet.

I measured down six inches for the top of the cross pieces...

... then dadoed each vertical using a circular saw.

I then fitted each cross piece before attaching each with two bolts.

Finally, I capped each cane cross with a copper cap. I was so proud of my work until someone (my wife) suggested they looked a lot like Calvary, so I detached each copper cap, re-cut each vertical, and then reattached the caps.

Much less rood.

The final layout looks a lot less like a Roman execution.

All that's left to do is to string the wiring.

Berry Long Boxes (Part 1)

One last piece of garden to terrace in. I had room for three rows of black berries and red raspberries. As with the other spaces, I opted for building cedar boxes to serve as my terraces, in this case three twelve foot by two foot boxes.

I used 2"x6" twelve foot cedar boards for the long pieces. Side boards are two footers.

Corners attached using 2"x4" pieces cut to 5 1/2 inches and screwed in using deck screws.

Lastly, 2"x4" two-foot long cross pieces were screwed in to prevent bowing.

Then, I set about the laborious task of digging out and leveling each box. I was way too busy to photograph the process (actually, I just forgot). Tune in tomorrow for the 4"x4" cross beam construction from which to suspend wires and hold up the canes.