A very busy garden year.
I know I have not posted very much lately. I've been keeping close to home due to money being very tight.
And truth be told, I have been spending more time on Facebook than posting here in this blog. I've set up the bare bones of a Pintrest page but not a lot of time posting otherwise. If I ever get bored enough I might do some sort of monthly summary after the fact.
Earlier this year had spent a lot of time supporting the local occupy movement providing food, laundry and a place for people to take a bath, painting signs.. mostly support items. Since they were evicted from the location, there is not as much of a need for that so my participation is very occasional at this point and ever since I quit smoking cigarettes (again) this fall I've been reluctant to hang out around other cigarette smokers in case I get tempted to start back up. Plus protesting is a naturally stressful environment, so I am trying to work in more constructive ways towards social justice issues.
This past spring a local urban garden that formed up in my community and I have been spending regular time on the weekends helping out there. (much to the neglect of my own yard). They leased an old commercial lot that was partially paved, and covered the asphalt with a layer of mulch (that took several weeks to spread by hand) which was donated by the city, then laid out soil in berm-like raised beds and grew a TON of stuff on it. They also collected old car tires and made planters out of them that did a great job of growing a number of items.
This Spring and Summer we grew (from what I can remember):
Mint, Genovese Basil, Purple Basil, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Pineapple Sage, Italian Parsley, Marjoram, Oregano, Butterfly bush, sunflowers.
Eggplant, Chili Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Yellow Cherry tomatoes, Tomatillos, Okra, Sweet White Corn (silver queen I think), Yellow crookneck squash - they did not make it because the squash borers took them out)
Purple Hulled Black-eyed Peas, String Beans, Bush Beans, Peas (I think - I did not harvest any)
This fall we have planted:
Blue Berry Bushes, Garlic, Lettuce, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Spinach, Kale, Garlic Chives, and some other stuff I cannot remember. I wished we had grown some pumpkin :( but we did not.
I have learned far far more by working communally in the garden than I ever would have on my own. I would have never been able to prepare and plant that many beds by myself. This is my first year growing many vegetables. The Beets, Carrots, Parsnips and Spinach came from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. I was very happy to get to try these things out. And the Spinach I have been harvesting for the past 2 weeks now, and I also pulled my first few beets.
I've eaten a lot more veggies than I otherwise would have just because there is so much to share. I have been able to put up some dried black eyed peas to eat over the winter or plant next year as well.