Plant something:Finally finished planting the potatoes (better late than never). I have a total of 8 varieties. Potted up the tomatoes and peppers so that I have a little more time to get the beds for them built. Built the first herb bed (approx. 4 X 6) and planted 4 kinds of sage, 2 bee balm plants, 2 plants each of 3 different lavenders, a couple of extra marigolds, three kinds of thyme, oregano, and 4 pepper plants that had lost their label. Built a second bed which is now home to 25 kale plants of 5 different varieties. Put in some flowering plants along the front of the house. I am using that bed as a holding bed until I have others made. Yard is almost under control so there will be more time for gardening.
Harvest/Preserve Something: Harvesting lettuce, spinach, and green onions for salads. Nothing preserved yet; focusing on using up old stores
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle:Traded a work friend a vacuum cleaner I no longer need for a lawn mower she was given and did not need. Purchased a graduation gown from my boss who no longer needs it. I have wanted to own rather than rent one for some time and now I do. On a downside, I gave into a weakness and purchased some magazines while anxious and stressed out. Slowly getting the yard under control and adding grass clippings to compost.
Preparation and Storage:
Build Community: Planted a few seeds about starting a farmer’s market on campus. I think there is a reasonably good chance this could happen for next year.
Eat the Food: Cooked beans from storage with the last of the dried chives from last year and the last of a bag of frozen peppers from the freezer. Eating salad from the lettuce and green onions in the containers.
Skills: Learning more than I care to about poison ivy which is plentiful on this property. Identified lots of waterleaf and garlic mustard that need to be removed as they are harmful to the overall ecosystem here. Identified a hickory nut tree on the property.
