Another tomato

Autumn is here and it seems like a good time to give our planting beds another try.  To be continued...

Beautiful Canna

The edible plants are not doing too well, but the canna is thriving as
it makes its ascent towards the sun.

Dance of the Dragonfly

As we were pruning our front yard trees this weekend, this lovely
creature stopped to say hi and danced for a while between the sage and
rosemary bushes.

How the garden grows

We breathe

The sun shines

The birds sing

The plants grow

The flowers bloom

Time goes by.

Fragrant White Bloom



Bouquet of Veggies

Pomegranate Tree

The Salt Shaker

This morning I needed some salt.  Normallly I don't use salt on my food as I get more than my recommended amount from all the take-out and restaurant food I consume over the course of my week.  That said, today I wanted some salt and pepper on my boiled eggs. 

 

Pepper was not a problem, I found a big bottle and dispensed copious amounts on my plate.  I then reached across the table for the salt shaker only to find that it was empty.  Small empty dispenser in hand, I suddenly recalled that no one had bothered to fill the salt shaker for months as the opening had become so encrusted with salt that it became stuck.  I recall many weeks ago attempting to turn it with my bare fingers.  The lid did not budge.  Again I gave it another go, knuckles white and tense.  Again, no movement.  Not willing to give up, I reached for a tissue, thinking the added layer would give me a better grip.  Again, the lid did not budge.  I cursed.  Then I asked myself, "Do I really need salt on my eggs today?"

 

At that point, a quote often referenced during my yoga class popped into my head.  "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result."  In fact, I had often thought of that quote in reference to others.  How clear it was to me when I looked at the travails of those around me and thought, "You're crazy!  You're doing the same thing over and over again and continue to be shocked that your life is the same.  That you meet the same mean people in relationships that parallel each other in amazing lockstep.  That you get into the same fights with your mate over the same nagging issues."

 

And there I was, holding the empty salt shaker, attempting for the 5th time to turn it with my fingers, the same thing I had tried to do weeks ago before deciding that my food didn't need salt after all. 

 

That's when I looked at my fingers and realized I needed a stronger lever.  Then I walked 20 steps to the cabinet in the hallway and grabbed the pair of metal pliers laying at the top of the tool pile, just waiting for its moment to be useful.

 

It took 2 seconds.  The lid came off like butter.

 

I was euphoric, amazed at how long it took me to come to such a simple solution and how little time it took to actually execute it.  I also realized that the power of wisdom is not how often you repeat the words to others or even to yourself but rather how often you actually physically and mentally implement it in your own life.  In the every day, simple things, like opening a recalcitrant lid.  It's those little things that continually speak to us, constantly trying to get our attention to tell us there's a better way to be. 

 

Or, we could just decide we don't need salt on our eggs that day.

 

 

Good-bye, Beautiful Tomatoes, Good-bye

This morning when I went to do my daily watering of the plant box, I was surprised in mid-spray when I noticed that my two most beautiful ripe red tomatoes had disappeared.  So much was my shock that I continued to spray away, all the while, trying to crouch lower for a better look. 

As if on autopilot, I proceeded through my own abbreviated version of the stages of grief. 

First, Denial.  Maybe the tomatoes are actually hiding behind the green foilage.  That must be it, over the course of 24 hours in the 110 degree scorching Las Vegas heat, the tomato plant in question underwent supersonic leaf growth enough to completely obscure two beautiful, bright red tomatoes about 3 inches in diameter. 

Second, Anger - other party directed.  That pesky rabbit.  It must have been him that managed to climb/leap over our 4 foot plastic fencing (which was intact) and absconded with our perfect tomatoes.  I don't know why just yesterday I thought he was a cute furry creature that greeted me each morning by scurrying into the nearest corner to hide and then running off when my back was turned.  If that little critter was here now, he would most definitely be the target of spray from my hose at its highest setting.

Third, Anger - self directed.  Why didn't I pick the tomatoes sooner?  I knew they were ripe for picking several days ago.  I was just biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to pick them.  Well now there is no need to wait for the perfect time, as some unknown rodent/pest has decided that for me.

Fourth, Depression.  Oh, it is just so sad.  Two perfect tomatoes.  Time, energy, water, anticipation - completely wasted.  Gone.  What a sad start to the day.

Fifth, Acceptance.  Ah, such is life.  Lesson learned - pick tomatoes when they are ripe enough.  Who knows if it was the rabbit.  Maybe it was a bird.  After all, the soil around the plants was not disturbed at all.  Whichever creature it was, it clearly made good use of the tomatoes to satisfy its hunger or thirst, as the fruit was picked clean to the stem with just a tiny speck of red color left dangling on the end.  So my efforts were not in vain after all, since it contributed to the survival of another creature for yet another day.  That being said, tomorrow I'll have to figure out a way to tie the tops of the fencing together to keep out uninvited guests. 

What a beautiful garden we have and how lucky we are to have it. 

Ten minutes over.  Time to get to work.

More Greens

I couldn't resist taking a few more snapshots of the growing greens after a morning watering. 

Mid-June Update

It's time to canvas the crop and do our bi-weekly inventory.

Tomatoes - check. 

Beets - check. 

Lettuce - check. 

Corn - check. 

Onions - check.

Carrot tops - check.

Sugar snap peas - wilting. 

At least we each savored a single snap pea pod.  Delicious!  I guess snap peas don't do well in the Vegas heat.

 

June Update



Snap Peas



Tomatoes



Corn

The weather is getting warmer and we're starting to see more evidence that we'll have some tasty crops to sample pretty soon! 

Garden Update

Snap Peas and Corn in the background, Lettuce in the foreground

Lettuce

We've been busy with last minute spring travels and haven't had a chance to update the blog for a few weeks.  Attached are the latest pictures from this morning, taken right after I turned off the hose (hence the puddle of water in the middle of the planters).   If you look closely you may spy a small green bell pepper.  Among the transplanted crops, the peas appear to be faring the best.  The corn was planted directly into the ground and have also sprouted up nicely.  A few of the transplanted lettuce and beets may have survived.  Fingers crossed, we'll know in a few weeks!

Raised Planter Beds

This past weekend was spent transplanting seedlings and setting up the raised planter bed.  I'm not sure if all the plants made it safely from the styrofoam take-out boxes to their larger digs.  Only time will tell whether my handling of the fragile stems was sufficiently gentle, but I am cautiously optimistic.  That being said, transplanting is hard work!  Going forward I will not underestimate the value of a good garden stool and work bench.   

The Awakening of Growth

My DW has pressured me for an entry for our gardening blog. For some reason, I have never felt interested in jumping on the bandwagon by signing up for a friendster, myspace, facebook, or any other social media accounts, because I find the idea of annoucing to the rest of the world what you are up to a little bit egotistical (this must sound a little bit shocking to those of you who know me well or for a long time, as you might say that this is so unlike the real me). Along that same line of logic and reasoning, I have also believed that blogging is a little narcissistic. However, I am an obedient husband, so here is my very first blog entry. I apologize first, if it comes across as egotistical, narcissistic, or self-indulgent!

 

I never really had any real interest in gardening, even though I spent many weekend days fertilizing and pruning the trees and shrubs in our deserty front and backyards. I just wanted to see the plants grow well (I was and am still very result-driven), and did not care too much about the actual gardening work or what and how the work could make me feel. In spite of this, I had always wanted to go back in time when everyone was just a farmer, growing their own food and making their own clothes, before modernization/technology started affecting the society.

 

When the veggie garden idea first surfaced many years ago, I thought it was a cool idea, but, for various reasons and excuses, chose to delay the implementation year after year. Finally, we both got our acts together, and decided to just give it a shot. We had planned to build the raised beds, but instead, spent the entire weekend cleaning up the yard. The weather was very nice, and for the first time, I truly felt the enjoyment of doing gardening work outside. I was not thinking about whether we would be successful in growing any edible vegetables; I was only thinking that it was nice to be in touch with nature, despite the fact we lived in a desert. We human beings were created to be spending a lot of our time outdoors in and with nature, instead of working in front of a computer in the office or watching TV in the family room.

 

During those two days of work outdoors, I felt more at peace with myself and had the yearning of living my entire life outside. I wished that I could just sit down to read a book outside, and promised myself that I would do just that over upcoming weekends when I was not working on the veggie garden. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating during the following weekend, and the typical spring wind storm forced us to be indoors. My mind, however, was calm, because of the outdoor work experience and what it made me feel. We walked the dogs, did some reading, and watched the seeds germinate and grow in those take-out boxes. There was no TV or any other distraction; we felt full in our hearts.

 

Since we started working on the gardening project, we have also been revisiting the idea of getting rid of our material possessions/accumulation. It was not the first time when we each got a free $10 gift card to Kohl's and found ourselves standing in the big store with nothing in our hands. We felt that we had wasted time driving to and entering the store, because we had better things to do at home, or outside. The lightness we feel when we are not attached to any material goods (except maybe the clothes we are wearning) is so delectable. It induces a great sense of inner well-being, making us appreciate each other's company and all the authenticity present in everything surrouding us.

 

This round of awakening (or re-awakening) feels more natural and long-lasting, thanks to the vegetables trying to grow. We are both confident that we will grow together with them.

Eight Days After Germination

Our Ad Hoc Growing Center

Beets

Sugar Snap Peas

Cucumber

Lettuce(foreground) and Purple Carrots (background)

Here's an update a little over a week after we first planted the seeds.  J came up with the brilliant idea to place the styrofoam boxes beneath our coffee table downstairs.  We removed the middle row of slate tiles and placed the grow light on top.  Without having to do much further maneuvering, the seedling boxes fit right underneath within the specified distance range from the lights.  Voila, mini greenhouse for the lazy folks!

Four Days After Germination

Our Germination Boxes

Cucumber

Sugar Snap Peas

Lettuce Mix

Beets

Four days after germination (we planted the seeds late Sunday night before going to bed), we were delighted to see a host of new arrivals sprout up from the soil.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit I was slightly freaked out to see the snap peas sprouts - so big, vigorous and plentiful - like squiggly worms burrowing their way out of the earth.  We have been spraying the soil with some water to maintain the moisture in the boxes and most of the seeds appear to be drinking up the water and thriving.  Next up, transplanting the seedlings to bigger containers.

Change of Plans

This past weekend we had planned to set up the raised planter beds and plant the seeds.  That was before we picked up our soil at the Tomato Lady's house and discovered that our timetable was completely off.  Apparently in Las Vegas it's not as easy as throwing a few seeds into the ground and watering them.  Instead, you have to germinate the seeds and grow them indoors for a few weeks before you can actually plant them in the ground.  Who knew?  Obviously not us.

Not to be easily deterred or to waste precious time, we decided to spend the weekend cleaning up our yard.  This entailed a lot of bending over and picking up several trash bags full of fallen leaves (note, even though you think you are being smart by growing evergreen trees, when the neighbors above you plant beautiful, leafy deciduous trees, you will still be swimming in brown leaves).  That being said, the weather was beautiful and a chore that on the surface sounds tedioius actually turned out to be a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.  We basked in the sunshine, pleasant breeze and drafty aromas of rosemary, lemongrass and lavender.  The dogs loitered in the shade and were always within a few feet of one of us.

On Sunday night we prepared the germination containers and sowed our seeds.  The countdown begins to see whether any green will pop up over the next week or so.

We couldn't ask for a more perfect weekend, delays and all.  So much for best laid plans.  They're overrated anyways.

Seeds Arrived!

Our seed order was delivered quickly! Here is what we'll be planting this season.

Planning and Supplies

After many years of throwing the idea around, we're finally going to do it!  We made the decision last weekend and within this past week have ordered the supplies to complete the project, namely a raised planter kit, heirloom seeds and other miscellaneous supplies.  This past weekend, I spoke to a local gardening expert (aka "The Tomato Lady") and have locked in a time to go purchase some good quality soil from her later this week.  My husband always says I am naively optimistic when it comes to estimating how much manual labor will be required, but I am looking forward to this weekend when we can start planting.  Pictures to come!