I was worried I would not give the potatoes enough time to chit before planting and many got a lot more time than I had anticipated due to the wonky weather. I used a kiddie pool for the last of the red potato plantings. I added some cardboard walls around the pool so I could mound up dirt/straw as the plants grow. I covered the pool with some fencing to keep the pets out of the pool until I can start adding straw mulch, as the mulch keeps most critters out of the beds.
I really like using the frost cloth or bird netting to cover the garden beds, compared to putting up fencing around the garden. For one thing my cats can get over 3 foot fencing with no problem, birds and squirrels don’t give a second thought to any fence I have put up. I’m going to set up areas that are fenced off in the garden rather than try and fence off all of the garden area.
I did a bit of shopping and Grocery Outlet had some large self watering planters that are as big as the party buckets I was going to buy, but if I can get a self watering planter for the same price of $10.00 I’m going to buy it. I looked up this large planter and the price for it at Home Depot is over $30.00! Thing is about Grocery Outlet is you have to buy when the store has it in stock as there no guarantee it will be in stock long term. I love large planting pots as you can use them anywhere and if a plant does not like one place because of to much or to little sun you can move the pot to a new spot. I lost one of my soaker hoses over the winter so I bought 2 hoses as I don’t like the sprinkler that I tried out for the potato rows.
For Mother’s Day I am giving Mom a work day of helping her do some yard and garden clean up. I bought some tomato and pepper plants for my and Mom’s garden as my starting plants are not great. This will get both of our gardens started off with some plants. I gave Mom a 4 ft. .x 4ft. raise bed and the walls for building a compost pile. My Mom is a little strange as she would prefer aa garden box and work rather than diamonds or pearls. Perhaps more people are thinking that way again, or it is just my hope.
Get those gardens in and have ways to preserve whatever you grow. I have a great talent of finding what does not work. Occasionally I find ways to make stuff works by trial and error. I would prefer that my starter plants did well but they haven’t so far. So I buy starter plants or direct sow. Those options tend to work well for me. This ain’t Instagram or Social media what ever works to produce what you want/need for food is a good thing. If you grow herbs in a windowsill for the cost of seed packet and don’t pay $4.00 for some herb in a store good on you! If you pay $5.00 for a tomato plant and get several pounds of tomatoes and don’t pay mega mart prices. Good for you!! It is okay to start small with a balcony or patio garden of pots even if you have a yard. There is nothing wrong with buying from a Farmer/Farmer’s Market if you don’t have the space for a garden. I don’t have space for a cow. That does not mean I won’t buy milk or beef locally!
Change your mindset! Do what you can and if you can’t do a thing find someone locally that can do that thing you need. At the end of the day no one cares if I suck at starting seeds and have lousy starter plants besides me. No one will care how you make your garden but you. No one cares more about you than you! Not the government. I have built up an impressive wood pile and I’m the one that cuts the kindling. Always remember who is doing the work when people try to gaslight you. You are doing the work!! If the gas lighters have better plan. Let them “trot” it out. The gaslighter’s always play to your emotions and not logic. I know common sense can be very rare but always test shat the PTB’s say.
My Adventures in selfreliance 