Harvest to Come

I hope to be a successful gardener this year. I have already planted lettuce, various varieties, spinach and squash. I was concerned about the recent cold weather's affect on the newly sprouted seeds, but they seem fine and are growing well.

The two broccoli plants that produced nothing last year are yielding. I don't quite understand this, but nonetheless, I've been eating broccoli from the two plants.

The cherry tree out back was overloaded in blossoms. Bees swarmed the blooms, including bumble bees, and I am happy. I have a neighbor willing to loan me a very tall ladder this year, so that I won't just be eating cherries off the lower branches. I am happy about the prospects of fresh sweet cherries to come.

I am hanging pieces of birch wood with holes drilled through. A couple down near Queen, for whom I trapped cats, showed me how these attract a certain type of bee, who use the drilled holes for nests. They are not honey bees, but these bees also pollinate. They are not aggressive bees either. I can't remember the species name, but they are beneficial.

I loved the pumpkins I grew last year and I will try to grow them again. I ended up using only two of the many pumpkins that grew from a single plant for their meat but I also dried the seeds to eat. I love pumpkin seeds. I don't have a green thumb, but I'm trying to develop one. I found out one doesn't need a green thumb to grow squash. They just grow. And one plant produces more than enough for one person and then some. If one grows pumpkin, not only can one eat the pumpkin, but one can also dry and eat the seeds. If you lack garden space, squash is the way to go!

I am planting the lettuce and spinach seeds amongst the flowers and other plants. I got the seeds last year at the dollar store. They were selling packets two for a buck. The seeds grow just fine.

Watering is an expense. Water rates in town are very high. But, I save water now. If the cat water dishes are dirty, but still mostly full, I use that water on the garden plants. These things can save on the water bill. Since most of my plants are just off the cement of the driveway, any rain runs off into the three feet of soil between the driveway and the house, automatically watering the garden plants.

I am trying to think of other ways to use water efficiently, mainly to cut down on the cost of having a garden and fresh vegetables a step out my door.

Did you know you can buy ladybugs and nematodes for natural control of garden insects and pests at Home Depot? Did you know worms love coffee grounds but many harmful insects do not? I am learning things and trying to learn more. Did you know you can spray water with a bit of dish soap in it on leaves of plants or corners of your house and spiders will not make webs there, and insects will not worry leaves sprayed with such a solution?

I once tried killing weeds with vinegar. It removes the waxy protective coating on leaves, leaving them vulnerable to the suns rays. But, this method does not effectively kill weeds, because the roots remain intact. I remember deciding to create my own weed sprayer, using vinegar. I had a bottle with a hose attached and vinegar inside the bottle. I had a second opening at the top with a cap on it. When I was ready to spray, I added baking soda through the second lid, then quickly capped it. I was hoping there would be no explosion. Sure enough, the pressure of the vinegar and baking soda reaction created the pressure necessary to force the solution out through the narrow hose. The reaction didn't last long but it was fun.