Thursday, December 31, 2009

My Garden this past season

My first square foot garden we built last year. This one has sage, onions, strawberries, and "what was I thinking mint".

My garden this year! Green beans, tomatoes, onions, herbs, squash, and 1 praying mantis!

A close up after the onions were pulled and the herbs trimmed back. I dry the herbs and prep them to use in the kitchen. Another post for that though.


A small bit of my first harvest. Patty Pan squash, green beans, and yummy carrots!

This is how I water my garden. Yep! Rain water. Water here is so expensive AND so polluted due to the fact we get our water from the Ohio River (joy! huh!?) I refused to shower, drink or use the tap water (since the state has issued a failed EPA test for the watere here for the past 7 years!) So we bought these from the County Ag office, cheap. C used his talents and built a stand for one so the pressure pushes the water out quicker, and excess runs from a small hose on the side down to the barrel below.

See? You would think I water with Miracle Gro when I use rain water. You should try it! Even if you catch it in 5 gal buckets, try watering your houseplants and see what happens. (PS Don't drink rain water unless you purify it first. Just my tip for the day)

My compost bin, brand new and just started to compost when the weather turned. I've stopped for now, I don't know about throwing scraps in the compost with 2 inches of snow on it.


So there's some of joy from this summer and fall. I never knew how much I LOVE to garden. I'm always out there. And if I'm stressed, anytime of the day or night...I'm in my garden piddlin' around. There is something soothing to the soul with mixing dirt and tending to the creation that God is growing. I'm just the gardener, He is the Creator. When I pull in the crop that is ready or just water and tend to it lovingly, it brings me so much joy.
Here's a funny image. Snow all over the garden and ground and I'm standing at our glass door in the kitchen looking out at the garden saying "come back...come back!" LOL. I know, soon enough. I actually need this resting time through the winter to learn more about composting and gardening. This is the time to pull in, rest and restore.
So, would making paper rings up to the first planting be wrong! :-)


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