Tuesday, March 15, 2011

And so it begins...

Is there a 12-step program for gardening? I said it before and I'll say it again: I have a problem. Since my earlier entry about a slight gardening obsession, I went to the store again. Four times. And I bought more stuff. Did you expect any less? This weekend I dodged the downpours and got myself outside to play in the dirt a little bit. Oh, who am I kidding? It was mud.

Let me tell you the highlight of my weekend. I went out to pick up some organic potting soil and 2 more large pots. I got to the store right after a rain squall came through and was outside with my big cart seeking to gather my supplies. I found the exact pots I wanted, but they were up on a shelf and I had to stand on my tip-toes to get the pots down. Being from the great Pacific Northwest, you would think I know a thing or two about rain and would be smart enough to think about what happens when it rains. You know how rain has a way of magically collecting into all sorts of little nooks and crannies? Well, the pots I selected to buy were stored upside down, rendering the top edges into a nice, wide brim…perfect for collecting a plentiful reservoir of rainwater.

Can you already picture what’s about to happen? Unfortunately, I was still clueless. So, I’m reaching on my tip-toes to pull down these pots from the shelf. And that’s when the rainwater pours over me like a small waterfall. It got in my hair, soaked my arms, splashed on my leg and down into my shoe, and made a nice spot of wet in my mid-section in a not-so-flattering way. Mind you, I’m wearing light grey sweats, so the water shows up as ugly dark splotches of embarrassment. It was awesome.

I now resemble a partially drowned rat and I hadn’t even gotten the dirt yet. Thankfully, I am the only one crazy enough to be outside in the garden department on a rainy day. So, I decide to hang out there for a little while longer until the water spots become less noticeable. Frankly, I’m enjoying my time all alone with the entire garden paradise to myself. Then, I feel the first drops of rain. I remember that I still need to get dirt, which was my primary reason for making the trip out to the store in the first place. Why did I wait to get the dirt? I get so distracted when I’m having fun.

As I begin browsing the selection of various planting mediums, I realize that there’s a lot to go through before I can find what I want. With each step, the rain increases. What I need is completely out in the elements, and by now, it’s pretty much a downpour. Well, what the heck? I’m already drenched and I need dirt. I’m not afraid of rain. So, I begin slugging the heavy bags of dirt onto my cart. Those suckers gain a tremendous amount of weight when they’ve been sitting under a rainy sky! Not to mention the fact that any dirt residue on the outside of the bag is now a minor mud slick that makes the bag slippery. And, there’s the fact that the mud is now on my light grey clothing as I’m trying to leverage the bags against my body so they don’t slip out of my grip as I maneuver them. 

I wasn't nearly this cute in the rain.
By the time I’m done, I am more uniformly wet as I’ve been throwing around bags of dirt in the rain. My hands are covered in a flattering shade of dirt brown to accessorize with my dirty and damp sweats. I’m a muddy, wet mess. I manage to find a little puddle of water to dip my hands into so that I can try to clean up a little bit before I start rummaging around in my purse to pay for my items. My glorious tale makes you want to garden, doesn’t it? It’s so glamorous, you know.

All that being said, I’ve added the following seeds to my growing collection:
  • Yellow onion
  • Sage
  • Oregano
  • Dill
  • Basil
  • Stevia
  • Golden beets
And, in addition to the 2 pots that drenched me, I also purchased a frost blanket, and a makeshift raised planting bed which I will construct into a 2’ x 10’ size to complement my current raised planting bed and other large pots.
I went ahead and filled up my first Jiffy tray with seeds to get the seedlings going indoors in preparation for planting them outside sometime soon. This takes care of about half of what I intend to start from seed. In outdoor pots I planted blueberries, garlic, asparagus, and my first batch of potatoes.  
With all the stuff I’ve acquired, I am not sure I’ll have enough room to grow it all. Here’s hoping everything works out and grows well! You gotta love fresh, organic produce from the back yard. C'mon, spring! I wanna get this party started.

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