Jumping the Gun

[unicornduke]

So I've got this garden right? 

Well, not really yet.

We moved into the house at the end of February. When we moved in, the garden and yard was a pretty big mess. There were so many leaves, all over the yard, weeds like crazy and the garden plot (a L shaped area that used to be a garden) had been neglected for long enough that there were literal trees growing in it.

I don't know if the pictures will come along when it cross posts to tumblr but there are before and current-ish pictures here

Before:







After:





So I did a lot! And it's spring and we should be frost free! Which is exciting! A month or so ago, I got my early seeds started and now I've got six enormous cherry tomato plants along a who bunch of other things. The parsley got planted. Things are being transplanted and planted in two days. 

But now I'm thinking about neeeeext year. Already. I want to get around for next year when I haven't even been through one season of gardening here in maryland, and I haven't had a garden since I was in high school. Especially since I haven't tried gardening and keeping something alive with my work schedule, whiiiich is so many. On that note, I won't be around as much since it's summer! I work a lot of hours! In fact I'm working tomorrow, saturday. So I'm doing probably 50 or 55 hours a week right now and its only going to increase.

So I guess this is a waiting game for me, about me. To see if I can plant and maintain a garden while working so much and such a physical job.

Comments

[graydon]

You certainly did do a lot!

I have less than no idea what grows in Maryland, but there must be something that deals OK with irregular attention. I think of "currant bushes" and raspberry canes and things in that category but suspect that might not work so well where you are.

[unicornduke]

those would work where I live! at least I think they would. The only thing I'm not sure of is if the humidity would affect them more than up in northeastern PA where I'm from.

My parents are going to send me raspberry plants next year when they start pruning in the spring so I'll get them! I just wish I didn't have a tendency to drop projects if I get too busy or tired, which is something I've done before (mostly with crochet but at least that doesn't die)

The rhubarb will probably survive no matter what happens so I'll always have that!

[graydon]

Dropping a project when you're unable to continue due to having to do something else or being too exhausted to continue is hardly a character flaw! (It might be a sign of overwork or modestly optimistic planning, but it's not a character flaw.) (Any chance of enlisting housemates for garden maintenance while you're working daylight hours in the summer?)

I've seen rhubarb react to having a lot of diesel poured on it with an "ooh, we can use carbon" growth spurt; the person pouring the diesel had been trying to kill it and was bitterly disappointed.

So, yeah, odds are, you're going to keep the rhubarb. :)

[unicornduke]

I can't believe someone poured diesel on the plants lol

I know that my parents left one plant by accident when they moved their rhubarb patch and laid down a good three inches of gravel and that one plant still came back.

I might be able to get Jade to water things for a day or two on occasion, but she's really not an outdoors or even plant person. She has a tendency to kill plants. I'm also in charge of the indoor plants because of it :/

But I'll see. Right now, watering takes maybe twenty minutes a day and that's because I've got seeds starting so its everyday. Maybe once things get going I'll drop it to every other day.

I'm working on it! And I'm trying to be much more careful with my time/energy levels than I was last year!