~Photo: New Pumpkin plants in our kitchen window.
In an effort to more fully embrace the farm life experience (and live more "Green") I wanted to get a good garden started this year...
But I've run into a few obstacles:
1.) I've never done this before
2.) We're moving to another farm soon
3.) For some reason the windy season is extra long this year
4.) It's difficult to get a variety of started vegetable plants (other than peppers and chiles) when we live in the middle of NOWHERE in the Southwest.
(All of these factors make starting a good garden quite difficult.)
Don't worry, though. Of course, I came up with a solution: I've been starting my seeds indoors with Jiffy-7 pellets. Over the next few weeks, I will nurture my little seeds into plants, which I will then acclimate to the outdoors and plant into the ground at the new location.
Ta-Dah!
After asking around for advice on LOCAL gardening, I've made a list of this year's schedule. I am mostly excited that EVERYTHING grows great in this valley except citrus (the chilly winter season is too long). A lot of people don't realize that the high-desert Southwest can be so fertile and crop friendly, but it's true.
This is what's growing in my windows right now:
Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkins
White Lumina Pumpkins
Zucchini Squash
Butternut Squash
Yellow Squash
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cucumber
Green Beans
Peppers
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Sunflowers
When we move and start the garden, we will add:
Sweet Corn
Peaches
Apples
Red Corn
This is what we will plant in the Fall:
Broccoli
Potatoes
Onions
Peas
The OTHER new (Green/Organic) adventure our family is starting after we move:
Vermicomposting!
(Oh yes! I expect to have the darkest, richest, soil in all the land!)
Learn all about it HERE.
Interested? Find a bin HERE.
Find the worms HERE.
2 comments:
Did you happen to see Oprah a week or 2 ago when Julia Roberts was on? She talked about Vermicomposting... very interesting. Good work.
Yes, I did!
I've been interested in composting for quite a while, but vermicomposting sounded too wierd.
Then, I saw that demo on Oprah and did a little more research on it. NOW, it's DEFINITELY the way I want to go. Faster, less stinky, better results....I'm all about the worms (even if Oprah DID turn her nose up at it)!
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