Please, somebody stop me!
Do you think 54 tomato plants night be just a tad more than 2 people will need?
Why do I keep overdoing this even though I am killing myself in this garden? Honestly, I'm beginning to resent the garden for the work and the travel and the stuff I miss out on when I'm there. My nephew was the hero of his baseball game Saturday, for instance, when, thanks largely to him, his team beat their seemingly unstoppable, and heretofore unbeaten, rivals. I miss too much going from state to state for this garden. I miss my wife! So does that slow me down when buying and planting seeds and tranplants? No.
What is holding me back is that my physical limitations are much worse than I had thought. Some of it I can overcome if I will just get into better shape. Arthritis, advancing years, and my many illnesses will always make me weak and sore, but it doesn't have to be this bad! This weekend reminded me that losing a bunch of weight does not mean that you are any stronger or have more stamina than before. It took all day and a whole lot of breaks to get those tomatoes in (and the cantaloupe, peppers, watermelon, and green beans.) I finally just couldn't do anymore and I ended up bringing the zucchini, yellow squash, and picking cucumbers home to try to plant on my patio and in my front yard. I'll figure it out.
I am excited, however, about some heritage tomatoes the local nursery had in stock. I have always wanted to try Mortgage Lifter and Cherokee Purple and now I can! I also planted a whole lot of Roma type tomatoes, a first for me, as I hope to make a lot of sauce and paste for myself this year.
I harvested a few peas, enough for a nice side dish one night, but most just weren't ready. It looks likely to be a bumper crop when they are ready, though. Awesome!
The cabbages are most unhappy and it's getting so hot now I suspect they will bolt without making heads. They've been in since February and are just now starting to get some size. That's the red cabbage, the green cabbages all died right off.
Lots of lettuce almost ready for picking. The beets, swiss chard, and carrots are coming along nicely. Unfortunately many of my garden markers washed away in the storms and, as I have no experience with most of what I'm growing this year, I have no idea what is what. Hopefully I'll come across the sketch I did of what is where. Note to self - a designated notebook with all the notes, lists, sketches, and comments would be most useful and a better idea than the bunch of scribbled sheets on different sizes of paper scattered randomly throughout my 2 houses, my office, and my car. A sorry state of affairs.
I really need to become friends with my new elliptical machine, because this weekend about killed me!
You sound like somebody who's been deprived of something you love for too long, LOL. Eventually I suspect you'll find the balance. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly it, Leigh. It's been too long since I've had a garden and I'm in love. Next year I'll plan more and give in to my impulses less.
ReplyDeleteHi, Found you through One Green Generation. I had to laugh at your 54 tomatoes. I've managed to limit myself to 22 plants this year. And I gave away all the others I started so I'm not tempted to add 'just a few more'. It seems almost like an addiction sometimes. I can stop planting whenever I want... yeah, right.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Oh my goodness, Judy, that made me laugh out loud, and squirm just a little. That's just how I feel.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh Grace..... the way-too-many tomato plants and the notes scribbled on various pieces of paper scattered throughout the house (not to mention the plant tags that didn't hold their markings) sounds oh-SO familiar...
ReplyDeleteNobody in my house even LIKES tomatoes but me. Why, then, do I have 15 different varieties growing in my garden?
This year I think I finally figured out why I do this... I *love* the experimentation (which one will grow best, which one will be prettiest, which one will TASTE the best, etc..) I'm always trying to research and test which variety will grow best in my (sometimes challenging) growing conditions. ( I *so* should have been a research scientist, lol)
This no doubt also explains why I have 14 different varieties of sweet and spicy peppers growing, right?
(Thanks for your comment on my blog) :-)
Grace, you need to update! Unless you're swimming in vegetables and can't get to the computer. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Leigh. I'll come back to life here and write a post next week. It's time for a list of what I've preserved this year, I think. If only to get it all straight in my head.
ReplyDelete