Our goal when we went to Home Depot last week was to price cedar boards for a home project. And then we got sidetracked....
Fruit trees were being advertised in the parking lot . Sam honed in on an apricot tree even those he has a poor track record for raising fruit trees. I was on the hunt for onion sets and headed to the garden center. I did not find any onion sets but I did find rose bushes. It was the spirit of Sam's grandmother that whispered in my ear, "Go ahead. Buy one or two, you know you want to." I ended up with a pink one (Queen Elizabeth), a yellow one (Oregold), a white one (Iceburg) and a red/yellow one (Double Delight). I dropped them in one of the bright orange 5-gallon buckets that are readily available for such a purchase.
We headed to the Back Forty with the pickup loaded with 50 cedar boards, 4 rose bushes, an apricot tree and a bright orange 5-gallon bucket.
On Saturday, Kris helped me plant the rosebushes and the fruit tree with hopes that we will be rewarded with succulent fruit that will rival the Farmer's Market produce and roses that will make any florist pea-green with envy. I've already threatened Sam to leave my bright orange 5-gallon bucket alone. It has been duly christened as my "yard bucket".
Who needs a dozen roses on Valentine's Day when one can have the whole darn rosebush(es)??
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Garden Project
The garden bug bit me about six weeks ago. In order for Sam to give me the nod of approval was relatively simple: I reminded him of how delicious garden-fresh tomatoes and peppers taste.
There were a couple of places on the ranch that are "garden material" but the third option has been deemed the most convenient and hopefully most deer-proof. We are going to till the lower yard which is just a few steps from the back door. Water hydrants are already in place as is the fence.
So with high expectations I will be planting squash seeds, radish seeds, green bean seeds, cowpea seeds, broccoli seeds, sweet onions, red onions, green onions and strawberries. Might be pushing the luck with strawberries but the girls really want me to try and grow them. We will also be planting different varieties of tomatoes and peppers (gotta keep my promise). And as if a vegetable garden isn't enough to maintain, I am also going to start a herb garden. The herbs I have selected are parsley, thyme, rosemary, lavender, tarragon and chives. I am probably forgetting something but I won't be able to recognize anything til it blooms or produces an edible product.
Step one is to have the dirt tilled which is on the agenda for this weekend. Step two is to plant the onions which is also on the agenda for this weekend. Sam has graciously (haha!) offered to help me till the garden which means I will be indebted to him for at least fourteen back rubs due to the nature of the labor. I know this will not be an easy task but I will tackle this project like I do most projects: With ignorance and a hope to be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
There were a couple of places on the ranch that are "garden material" but the third option has been deemed the most convenient and hopefully most deer-proof. We are going to till the lower yard which is just a few steps from the back door. Water hydrants are already in place as is the fence.
So with high expectations I will be planting squash seeds, radish seeds, green bean seeds, cowpea seeds, broccoli seeds, sweet onions, red onions, green onions and strawberries. Might be pushing the luck with strawberries but the girls really want me to try and grow them. We will also be planting different varieties of tomatoes and peppers (gotta keep my promise). And as if a vegetable garden isn't enough to maintain, I am also going to start a herb garden. The herbs I have selected are parsley, thyme, rosemary, lavender, tarragon and chives. I am probably forgetting something but I won't be able to recognize anything til it blooms or produces an edible product.
Step one is to have the dirt tilled which is on the agenda for this weekend. Step two is to plant the onions which is also on the agenda for this weekend. Sam has graciously (haha!) offered to help me till the garden which means I will be indebted to him for at least fourteen back rubs due to the nature of the labor. I know this will not be an easy task but I will tackle this project like I do most projects: With ignorance and a hope to be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Decisions, Decisions
My 19 year old is struggling with, all of things, what to do with the rest of her life. She says she has days where she wonders why she's taking the classes she's taking and why she has chosen Business as her current major. I told her if it makes her feel any better that her 45 year old mother is still trying to figure out what it is she wants to do with her life.
When I was 19, I was living the carefree life of a young woman on the brink of becoming a legal adult. And I was absolutely clueless as to what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I was a "live for the moment" person. Plans and schedules were meant to be changed on an hourly basis. Living with three other girls was just the right recipe for road trips, late nights and daring escapades that involved swimming pools and tatoo parlors.
Kris has a touch of her paternal grandmother in her. Granny is a free spirit that is still searching for whatever it is she is searching for. Kris knows she needs to secure a college degree in whatever she decides to major in. But the Free Spirit in Kris sometimes talks louder and tugs harder than the rational and disciplined side of her being. Free Spirit likes to tickle Kris' imagination which triggers thoughts of living happily ever after on an island which is surrounded by crystal clear waters and the sand is like spun sugar. (Easy to imagine; isn't it?)
The time frame for Kris to declare a major is getting shorter. She thinks it is ridiculous for society to expect a 19 year old to know what he/she wants to do for the rest his/her life. I vote we win the lottery, quit college, quit work and BUY an island.....I'll be sitting under an umbrella sipping a fruity drink out of a pineapple while reading a trashy novel. Free Spirits are welcome!
When I was 19, I was living the carefree life of a young woman on the brink of becoming a legal adult. And I was absolutely clueless as to what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I was a "live for the moment" person. Plans and schedules were meant to be changed on an hourly basis. Living with three other girls was just the right recipe for road trips, late nights and daring escapades that involved swimming pools and tatoo parlors.
Kris has a touch of her paternal grandmother in her. Granny is a free spirit that is still searching for whatever it is she is searching for. Kris knows she needs to secure a college degree in whatever she decides to major in. But the Free Spirit in Kris sometimes talks louder and tugs harder than the rational and disciplined side of her being. Free Spirit likes to tickle Kris' imagination which triggers thoughts of living happily ever after on an island which is surrounded by crystal clear waters and the sand is like spun sugar. (Easy to imagine; isn't it?)
The time frame for Kris to declare a major is getting shorter. She thinks it is ridiculous for society to expect a 19 year old to know what he/she wants to do for the rest his/her life. I vote we win the lottery, quit college, quit work and BUY an island.....I'll be sitting under an umbrella sipping a fruity drink out of a pineapple while reading a trashy novel. Free Spirits are welcome!
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