Garden, garden, (grrr taxes), garden, garden!
I think taxes are due just as garden season starts so you have a way to work off frustrations and so it's harder to maintain disgust.
(Short rant): If anyone asks me if I mind my taxes going up some little amount for some very good cause--the answer is yes. Enough of my taxes go to subsidize substandard employers, either directly, via support for their employees, via support for those without good jobs due to their sourcing policies/outsourcing (to keep their taxes low), via environmental clean-ups, via relocation incentives (which little businesses NEVER get) via various others idiotic ways....that yes, I do mind. I firmly believe taxes are necessary. I also am not seeing them going to public goods or the public good, so I don't think the current ones are legit. We don't need higher taxes on any specific individuals, we need to not subsidize corporations (especially who don't provide good jobs and hide money overseas) and an economic structure that didn't nuke the middle class and throw them down into needing support instead of paying taxes. :P (end rant)
GARDEN!
Got out to do actual work in the garden today. I had been out a bit before, mainly cleaning up what I didn't finish last winter (and burying bokashi). It's still fairly wet out there, but at least I didn't instantly get an inch taller due to the mud. L helped dig rocks out of where we used to have a bush row and put them in a BIG pot then dug dirt from our fence row holes to put into the pot on top. It's now sitting in the corner of the garden with a few mint seeds in it (good grief are those TINY!). Inside are 3 lavendar seeds in seed pots (oops..those should have been started a while ago...I hope at least one grows...I only need one but those are OLD seeds), and I will add lemon balm from the herb sale in May. It's a BIG pot. It's a tea pot!
Cleaned out the water tank, which had stuff growing in it. But more on the shaded side, so I'm not sure the problem was I didn't have it properly covered from the sun. Hrm. Borrowed a power washer. That was fun, but I'd want one with a smaller gun I could actually stick inside the tank to do the top.
Also put up pea fences, two more fence posts for the outside fence. Planted peas (with L's help!), spinach, onions, kholrabi (after making them into seed tape w/L's help...mostly successfully, but not long enough so the rest planted by hand), beets, and carrots. Am trying tomato trellises for some of the peas. The pea fences annoy me, especially as I managed to break one last year. Tomato trellises are more expensive, but it only takes a few busted pea fences to pay for them...
Tomorrow the goal is to weed whack under where the fence goes and then put up the fence, before the plants come up. Am having (in theory, we're coordinating slowly) someone build a stile to go over the fence so L doesn't need a lift or squish the fence. Fence needs to get up before L squishes the plants.
Then I just need patience until warmer weather comes to plant the rest. Think I'm going no potatoes this year. My garden is tight enough that I can never dig til everything else is dead and then it's COLD. Might plant the rhubarb....it came in, which implies it is time to plant. Last year my rhubarb roots (from Meijer) were the size of a finger. These two are double-fist sized. I think I need more space for rhubarb......(I don't need that much rhubarb, but it is also going to keep weeds out from under the fence, so it's being over planted). I have on order blueberries, currants, kiwis (but not really), and strawberries.
OH! I need to put tarps out where I'm putting strawberries so the grass doesn't grow up so strong.
Garden, garden, garden, garden.....
(Short rant): If anyone asks me if I mind my taxes going up some little amount for some very good cause--the answer is yes. Enough of my taxes go to subsidize substandard employers, either directly, via support for their employees, via support for those without good jobs due to their sourcing policies/outsourcing (to keep their taxes low), via environmental clean-ups, via relocation incentives (which little businesses NEVER get) via various others idiotic ways....that yes, I do mind. I firmly believe taxes are necessary. I also am not seeing them going to public goods or the public good, so I don't think the current ones are legit. We don't need higher taxes on any specific individuals, we need to not subsidize corporations (especially who don't provide good jobs and hide money overseas) and an economic structure that didn't nuke the middle class and throw them down into needing support instead of paying taxes. :P (end rant)
GARDEN!
Got out to do actual work in the garden today. I had been out a bit before, mainly cleaning up what I didn't finish last winter (and burying bokashi). It's still fairly wet out there, but at least I didn't instantly get an inch taller due to the mud. L helped dig rocks out of where we used to have a bush row and put them in a BIG pot then dug dirt from our fence row holes to put into the pot on top. It's now sitting in the corner of the garden with a few mint seeds in it (good grief are those TINY!). Inside are 3 lavendar seeds in seed pots (oops..those should have been started a while ago...I hope at least one grows...I only need one but those are OLD seeds), and I will add lemon balm from the herb sale in May. It's a BIG pot. It's a tea pot!
Cleaned out the water tank, which had stuff growing in it. But more on the shaded side, so I'm not sure the problem was I didn't have it properly covered from the sun. Hrm. Borrowed a power washer. That was fun, but I'd want one with a smaller gun I could actually stick inside the tank to do the top.
Also put up pea fences, two more fence posts for the outside fence. Planted peas (with L's help!), spinach, onions, kholrabi (after making them into seed tape w/L's help...mostly successfully, but not long enough so the rest planted by hand), beets, and carrots. Am trying tomato trellises for some of the peas. The pea fences annoy me, especially as I managed to break one last year. Tomato trellises are more expensive, but it only takes a few busted pea fences to pay for them...
Tomorrow the goal is to weed whack under where the fence goes and then put up the fence, before the plants come up. Am having (in theory, we're coordinating slowly) someone build a stile to go over the fence so L doesn't need a lift or squish the fence. Fence needs to get up before L squishes the plants.
Then I just need patience until warmer weather comes to plant the rest. Think I'm going no potatoes this year. My garden is tight enough that I can never dig til everything else is dead and then it's COLD. Might plant the rhubarb....it came in, which implies it is time to plant. Last year my rhubarb roots (from Meijer) were the size of a finger. These two are double-fist sized. I think I need more space for rhubarb......(I don't need that much rhubarb, but it is also going to keep weeds out from under the fence, so it's being over planted). I have on order blueberries, currants, kiwis (but not really), and strawberries.
OH! I need to put tarps out where I'm putting strawberries so the grass doesn't grow up so strong.
Garden, garden, garden, garden.....