Today's the first day of autumn.

I'm not quite ready yet.  And, considering half of our tomatoes have yet to bloom, I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only one.

Chad, the kids and I spent a couple hours last weekend ripping out dead, dying and "failure to thrive" plants.  We dumped containers of soil into the main garden bin.  We trimmed and ( Read more... )

I'm starting to feel a lot like a squirrel storing up for winter.  Mandyland's been a hot bed for food preservation.


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Let's talk gardening.  For just a bit.

I know I've been uncharacteristically quiet about my poor little garden.  The fact that I just used the word "poor" should clue you in on why I've been so quiet.

We've had a strange year here in Mandyland.  While the temperatures have been refreshingly cool, they've wrecked havoc with a budding gardener who is ( Read more... )

"Tomatoes and squash never fail to reach maturity. You can spray them with acid, beat them with sticks and burn them; they love it." ~S.J. Perelman, Acres and Pains, 1951

I'm sorry S.J. Perelman.  I'm going to call a "BS" here.  Apparently my assessment last year was fairly apt:  I really do seem to be the only person on earth who can't grow squash.

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You knew it was coming didn't you?  The signs were all there...refusing to believe what a to-scale grid said I could plant, the first rush of tomato buying madness at the nursery, the websites, the films...they all pointed to a repeat of last year's downward spiral.

Even I knew trouble was brewing.  Just three days ago, Joseph and I stood in the ( Read more... )

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I feel like I'm in quicksand.

By this time last year, I had all my plants in the ground and was worrying about thinning.  This year, I'm still in the prep stages.

And, as previously noted, starting over with my seedlings.

We've had several things work "against" our gardening efforts.

First, there's Chad's schedule.  With him working on Saturdays, ( Read more... )

My seedlings are dead. All dead ( Read more... )

Sunday brought a break in the rain and my gardening group meeting.

Tara brought over a loaf of fresh-baked bread and homemade cheese. Michelle came bearing jars of homemade marmalade. My store bought cookies sat, accusingly, on their plate. I need to step up my game.

Side note: I'd mentioned earlier that week that I was nearly out of jams due to ( Read more... )

No, silly. Not Christmas. Gardening time!

I'll pause while those of you who don't share my love of all things gardening click the "back" button to read TMZ.

I have not yet blogged about it, but our garden is in full early-spring swing. Chad's new schedule has taken a weekend day from us which means Sundays - at least those without rain - have seen ( Read more... )