Tag: Life is good

Gardening Diary: Peas, Beets, Greens, Plus 2013 Plans

I planted my first seeds a week ago Monday (May 6th) so I figured I’d better post something, along with some gardening plans.

I had three rows of garden last season, along with countless containers. This season, I’m planning on the three rows, and a few containers.

In the row that grew tomatoes last season, I planted my cool-weather crops.

Peas, Beets, Asian Greens

I had opened pea seed packs from last season, so I used those up first. This time I set up the trellises first and then planted the seeds in front and back of each trellis. Last season, my pea plants were all over the place, and they were a jumbled mess.

So, one small row of shell peas in front of first trellis, and snap peas in back of the shell peas, and then more snap peas in two rows front and back of the second trellis. Next week, for the remaining two trellises, I will plant a new batch of snap peas, to help stagger the harvest times.

shell and snap pea sprouts garden May 2013

From last season’s opened seed-packs, I planted beets on the far right end, and then scattered Asian mixed greens seeds over the middle area.

Asian greens just starting to peek:
asian mixed greens from seeds garden May 2013
Beet greens popping up:
beets from seeds garden May 2013

The oregano plant looks awesome again this season. It’s so easy to grow, and it just keeps coming back. This will be the third season!

oregano plant garden May 2013

Here’s a full shot of the garden:
full view of garden May 2013
It’s difficult to see the first two wire trellises for the peas, but they are on the far left, first row, next to the white trellises.

My plan for the summer is to plant pickling cukes, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, more beets, and perhaps peppers. I had such bad luck with the peppers last year, I am not sure if I want to try again.

I’m thinking tomatoes along the back fence, and I’d love to put the cukes in the front row, maybe dispersed with the greens and beets. I wonder, by the time the cukes are spreading out, the greens will be spent? I’ll have to look back at my last season photos and figure out how big the cuke plants were in late June.

My containers from last season are a mess with all sorts of weeds growing in them. I’m thinking of removing all weeds, dumping all the soil into my wheel barrow, mixing it up, maybe adding some compost, then adding it back to the containers for new plants.

Anyone have any ideas or plans for their veggie garden this summer? Life is good!

Mahoney’s Winchester Winter Farmers Market-2nd Trip

Another trip to the Mahoney’s Garden Center Winter Farmers Market! Excellent selection of vegetables from 3 farms again.

From Springbrook Farm, I purchased a 5+ pound bag of russet potatoes for $3.
From Oakdale Farm, I spent $8.25 for small broccoli ($3/lb), sweet potatoes ($2/lb), beets ($1.50/lb), and a lovely cabbage head ($2 ea).
From Silverbrook, I bought two large celeriac for $4 ($2.50/lb)
Everything totaled $15.25; I say that is a bargain, considering it’s winter, & I have enough vegetables for the week (plus celery and kale from Whole Foods Market.)

I am so lucky (and blessed) to live near farms that are good enough to grow and share many wonderful vegetables with others.

Life is good!

November Gratitude: Appreciation for Technology

The other day, I phoned my local bank to complain about their new online banking interface. Since the change, I’ve found it very user-UNfrendly and wanted to express my views.

Then the recent Saturday Night Live skit kept popping into my head. You know, the one where the tech reporters were confronted/humiliated by the Chinese iPhone peasant workers. It was hilarious and sad at the same time.

The skit exaggerates some recent iPhone complaints (like the iPhone is too thin and too light) – and then brought out the factory workers who proceeded to put the tech reporters in their place, for being so petty.

In case you didn’t see it, here’s a link.

(My favorite line is “hmm, what product does America make? Hmm, does diabetes count?” Classic!)

Anyway, the point of this post is my revelation. Am I so jaded and spoiled that I can’t recognize and appreciate the awesomeness that is online banking?

I can save gas and time, forgoing a trip to a physical bank branch and actually pay bills, transfer money, check my banking balances and view transactions. Why am I complaining???

I got a grip and realized how lucky I am! (haha, I felt bad enough to actually call back the branch and apologize for my rudeness.)

I’m grateful that there are so many wonderful technologies at my disposal, making my life easier! I need to stop and find appreciation in the gifts I’ve been given!

Life is good!

Grateful: Giving Thanks in November

November is the perfect time to give thanks.

I started a separate Gratitude Blog a couple of years ago but I don’t post very often. I figured this month it would be a good to once a day, pause, and feel a moment of gratitude for something wonderful in my life that day or week.

I might not be able to blog every day, but I’m going to set an alarm on my phone for a gratitude moment.

To start off today, I am so very grateful to live in a community with many awesome public libraries that offer free access to as many books that I can handle! I found a new (for me) library in Methuen today, as I was closeby picking up apples at a local farm. The library is beautiful and I found a bunch of wonderful cookbooks to borrow.

Life is good!