Green Growing Things

[ladysprite]

One of the biggest frustrations of house-hunting, at this point, is the problem of gardening. I didn't get to have a garden last year, since I was recovering from knee surgery at what would have been peak digging-and-planting season, and I was truly looking forward to some serious playing in the dirt this year. Unfortunately, since we're really hoping to move before the end of the summer, I don't want to start digging up the yard and fertilizing and planting seeds just so that we can leave before things are ready to harvest. On the other hand, given that we have yet to find a house that even remotely resembles somewhere we want to live, odds are that by the time we move into a new place it'll be far too late to start planting.

The practical answer to this, of course, is container gardening. It's better than nothing, I guess. We can grow herbs, if nothing else, and today at Plimoth Plantation I picked up a couple of heirloom tomatoes and an Italian eggplant to try in bigger pots. But it's nowhere near as rewarding as spending a day getting sweaty and dirty digging up the beds, and I'll desperately miss having fresh zucchini and cucumbers and enough tomatoes to supply the neighborhood.

Please, won't someone put a nice, affordable house with a big kitchen and a nonzero yard on the market in our neighborhood? I'll even promise the seller a share of the tomatoes if they agree to close before it's too late to plant. Or, barring that, does anyone mind if I come and garden in their yard for a while?

Comments

[wren13.livejournal.com]

I have a big yard, access to horse manure for fertilizer and zero time. I'd love to have you garden at my house, if you don't mind that I occasionally weed for therapy.

[wren13.livejournal.com]

Just saw this site on one of my other LJ friends post - would be right up your alley!
"http://www.gainingground.org/"

[spiritdancer]

Tomatoes do well in containers (speaks she who has 2 pots with tomatoes on the back deck as of last week).

And actually, you can do zucchini/other squash in containers, as well as cukes, peppers, peas, and, well, most anything else - you just don't end up having quite as many plants. My "big" pots are about 18 inches x 18 inches at the top, and about 16 inches deep. The tomatoes are planted 4 to a pot (in the corners of the pot. I have a pattypan squash in the middle of the third, with two pepper plants in opposite corners of the same planter - the drawback is that the squash may cover up the peppers (we'll see).

The herbs and lettuces I have are in more traditional window-box planters (6 inches wide by about 30 inches long, and about 6 inches or so deep).

Keep an eye out for a book titled "Square Foot Gardening" (it has been very helpful, at least for me).

_M_

[pagawne.livejournal.com]

Darlin' Lady, I wish you were closer. We have nearly 1/4 acre you could have to play with. Nice sandy loam.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Sure! We'd be happy to have you come garden in our yard. Seriously. It's pretty bare right now and, though I have plans for parts of it, I won't have the time and energy to use all of it. If you're interested, drop me a note or give us a call, and we can set up a time to meet there and find a patch that you like. (And we'd get to see you as a bonus!) :-)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

(According to Mapquest, we'll be less than 3 miles away!)