When we moved house just over a year and a half ago and when we were getting the garden landscaped I asked the gardener to leave a plot for me to start a garden.....as I had great intentions of growing and eating our own vegetables.... Comments like 'You'll never do that' only made me more determined and to prove the sceptiques (is that the right spelling???) wrong I was all gung-ho this spring (last year it was enough to make the decision!!) and started poring over the books I had bought 4 yrs ago and got as far as buying the seeds before taking another hiatus.... Intentions were good however and thankfully one doubting Thomas (aka Declan) got on board and before long Grandad Bill had made two planting boxes and Declan had organised topsoil to fill them and we planted scallions, cabbages, lettuce, carrots, beans, peas, tomatoes.... and potatoes in black refuse bags....So far all are doing well apart from the cucumbers that never made an appearance and the lovely cabbages who were visited by a plague of caterpillars before we could get to them... I am willing to let them have this crop but determined that the next round of cabbages are for us!!!!
There were no shortage of small helpers and spectators, so much so that we had to hide all gardening tools on completion of planting for fear that they would be all uprooted by the following day.... Thankfully little people are easily distracted and so our small garden survived intact (apart from the caterpillars!!)
Alex checking out the plants with Daddy yesterday....
OK.... I'm game for any job.....harvesting.... weeding... demolishing....uprooting....or gathering ombibombulators (ref: Dick-King Smith's book 'The Ombibombulator' and said surprisingly clearly by the small boy in spite of his need for speech therapy!!)
4 comments:
I'll have to share some gardening stories with you now - the more to chat about....yours seems so much greener and lush...I thought Florida had the great sun and soil. Ha....Read up on organic gardening, regarding companion planting to see which plants would deter pests...I don't have caterpiller issues, maybe because I am using some companion plants (thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic). Also, sticky upside-down tape or a half-full can of beer may drown your pest....Happy Harvest.
Sandy
Good Morning Sunshine. Lovely to catch up on your blog. I always feel visiting your blog is like going home to Ireland and catching up with an old friend!!
Good for you on your veg. garden. You sound like me with the squirrels and the tulip bulbs they used to rob on me - I declared war!! I love the brick on the house next to you - the dark grey - that is the type of house I covet and everytime we go home and drive in or around Galway (coast road) I always see these new houses I love - you lucky ducks - I bet you you live in my dream house!!
How cute about Alex in speech therapy and the boys not sitting still.......yes our son has that problem too - he bounces. We have him sit on his hands sometimes and even then it is not always successful......... Orin did speech classes for a while and then about a year ago speech exploded (now we frequently say.........WHY were we worried?)
And finally the caterpillar....oh boy our Orin would love your family. We went camping for 3 days a couple of weeks ago and Orin befriended a caterpillar who had to sit near us for breakfast at the camp fire.....he was also brought to the beach (on a kitchen towel) this I should tell you was a 10-15 minute walk and Oscar as the caterpillar was named was carried by Orin all the way..... he was left on the beach to watch the kids swim in the water - kids and their obsessions. With Ash it was never animals but stones, shells and rocks.......we could open our own quarry the amount that were dumped in the front garden!!
Anyway enjoy your summer. I hear good weather is around? You cant beat Ireland when there is good weather.
Mary
PS Is you friend who adopted from Kaz moving to Canada? There is a girl who adopted a little girl Gracie moving here to Toronto as she is getting married. She has joined our Canadian Kaz adoption group.
Hi Adrienne,
Good luck with the gardening project. Back from Portugal alas! We had a great holiday, sunshine all the way/. Anyway we're now in Kilkee for this week so love to meet up if ye around.
Lucy
Hi Sandy..
Ah, you may have the sun & soil in Florida but we have the Rain! ...in abundance!!!! Makes for lots of green grass, green cabbage and ... green caterpillars!!!!!!!
I did wonder about the companion planting... think that is why the carrots are doing so good as they were sowed between rows of onions.....
Sticky upside down tape??? Elena would have it gone.. anything with tape and scissors and she is gone...always cutting and sticking and making stuff!!!
As for the can of beer... Declan probably would have that gone.. won't agree to share with the caterpillars!!!!!:)))
Thanks for the tips Sandy..
Chat soon..
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