Hoses are Out

It is 9:20 at night and 84 degrees (Weather Channel says it feels like 87). That is down from a high in the mid-90s. The rain seems to be on a much-appreciated break, but it does mean that the raised beds, containers, and recent plantings must now be watered by me. For the next 10 days! Sigh. This morning, I drained the rain barrel watering the vegetable gardens and containers. Tonight, I hooked up the hoses. Oh, and it is still May. For at least a few more hours.

Why Grow Veggies?

I was telling my niece about all the vegetables I had just planted in my gardens, and she said "you are trying to be eco-friendly by growing your own produce." I kid you not. She is 10.

It got me to thinking, though, about all the many reasons why. And why did I buy a house on an acre lot? Yes, I want to be eco-friendly! But, I have other reasons. I never cease being amazed by God's creation, watching the plants grow, and, yes, the deer and other critters wreaking havoc on them. (I just wish they'd leave a bit more for me.) Nothing beats the taste of something just-picked. Some things don't make it into the house. I love the smell of the earth. And, the act of planting and harvesting ties me to my parents and grandparents and the memories of working and playing in their gardens when I was little. So, with a whole acre of my own, I can plant whatever I want! Flowers and veggies and trees galore! And then, during the drought periods, I can water for hours on end. (It is relaxing for the first hour or so. Really.)


So, here is this year's raised bed, breaking through. Lettuces in the front, radishes to the left, beans (yellow and green) in the middle, corn salad and zucchini on the right, tomatoes across the back. And, the garden tiki standing guard over the sprouting. Beans are new to me this year. But, I could not resist the "bean tower" in the catalog. The beans are growing pretty fast already--I can't wait to see if they climb the tower all the way to the top!

Yet to sprout in the ground-level bed are watermelons, patty pan squash, carrots, and cow peas. Meanwhile, the peas are flowering behind the rhubarb and horseradish in their bed beyond the raspberries and blueberries. And there is swiss chard just planted in a big pot in front of the garage. I should be well-fed. Especially with the CSA share included!

I do hope we don't have another drought this year. But, I now have a great sprinkler collection, so I just have to move the hoses around occasionally :)

There's a Reason They're Called Knock Outs

Cincinnati Weather

87 degrees and muggy yesterday, thunderstorms today, cooling to 60-ish tomorrow. Gotta love the variety. And, we take what we get to the max. The ice cream truck was out in the heat yesterday (I do wish he'd get a new song), somebody was grilling out, and the poison ivy is trying to take over. Note the healthy green leaves and warning-red stems. Got to put on the haz-mat gear to get rid of it without exposing myself to the oil. It makes me itch just thinking about it.


Meanwhile, rain, sun, and heat mean that those April showers really have brought May flowers. Raspberry bush, Scotch broom, thyme, columbine, and yellow knock-out rose. And peas. Lots of yummy peas, coming soon!

Rain and Deer

We just missed a one-month rainfall record in April. Missed it by 0.14 inches! Someone pointed out that the prior record was set in a January, which has 31 days. Since April has only 30 days, and it rained on May 1st, we did hit a 31-day record. It was a record for an April anyway.

Meanwhile, it is May 2nd, and raining. The Reds are rained out for the night. More rain is forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday morning, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Mothers Day). Yippee. The grass is at mid-calf. The weeds are taking over even more than usual, but at least they pull out pretty easily!

And the deer are eating everything and leaving big divets wherever they walk. I sprinkled Deer Scram everywhere on Friday, but it is probably washing away... So, does anyone know how to attract coyotes (without feeding them, of course)? Check out this article from Audubon on urban coyotes. I suppose having urban chickens would do the trick, but I want them eating the deer, not the chickens...

The good news is, the neighbors did away with their big ugly propane tank! Woo hoo! Before and after: