A couple of weeks ago I discovered something startling… I’m not really into video games anymore. Sure, when Diablo 3 comes out I’ll buy it and play it a bunch but otherwise, I’m not getting the same satisfaction or fun out of video games like I used to. Maybe I’m getting older and maybe it’s this house we live in now but more and more, plants, dirt and shovels occupy my mind. So, I think it’s time to start a new series on this blog; The Second Snack Vegetable Garden. The time to start planting is coming up quickly as Spring gets closer so I thought it would be fun to share my experiments, ensuing failures, and glimmers of success with all of you.
After a recent move, we’ve been fortunate enough to get a rather large yard for our neighborhood. Out back by the detached garage is a plot of dirt that has been unused for several years. This area gets a decent amount of sun and has good drainage. Over the last few weeks I’ve been prepping the area for planting by keeping weeds at bay, churning the dirt and doing some light composting.
Future plans include building 12 inch high planter boxes to create raised beds. I’m going with this route so I can control the soil a bit better and to allow for better drainage. A side benefit will also be that I won’t have to bend down as far to work. Apparently I’m an old Japanese man with a bad back so this will be a big help.
I don’t plan to use pesticides or anything like that but I’m also not a crunchy granola-type who wants to save the planet by growing food in my backyard. The real aim of starting this garden is to start a new hobby that gets me outside, exercises me a bit, and gives us “free” food.
Luckily, I have some key family members who all have green thumbs. After advice from all of them, I’ve come up with a crop that I want to start with.
They include:
Zucchini
Beans
Peas
Berries (haven’t decided which ones yet)
Tomatoes (various varieties)
Some of the tomatoes will be grown in the vegetable garden and a few varieties (the cherry tomatoes) will be grown in pots along a long wall that gets a lot of sun during the day. The heat radiating off of this wall will be perfect for the tomato plants.
I used to sit and think about killing dragons, completing mission and collecting phat loot… but now I’m more likely to sit and ponder optimal angles of the sun, pH of dirt, and what plants are friendly to each other. I know that I’m just trading one obsessive hobby for another, but after years of sitting inside I’m looking forward to playing in the dirt again.
4 comments:
Can you please add cucumbers and bell peppers to you list? They tend to be pretty easy to grow, and I'd really appreciate you doing all that work for me :)
The tomatoes will benefit from a basil crop and a basil crop will benefit from the tomatoes :)
Yes plant basil! I have an amazing pesto recipe that requires lots of basil. It's easy too! Zucchini is fun to grow because they can get pretty big pretty fast. Just make sure to pick most of them at a decent size because they're not as yummy when they're huge.
Another fun plant is artichoke. Okay, I'm done. You have plenty of experienced green thumb's in your life. You don't need me. :)
Seamus' big plan for this coming week (ski week) is to tend to our backyard garden. He is slowly turning our whole backyard into a massive garden. So he and Michela are going to go on a weed picking quest. Woo hoo!
heh.. i was trying to start out simple but now that you mention it.. i could go for some basil and cucumbers. Maybe even some mint and cilantro.
but, i've got to make sure i can keep a few plants alive before i start taking care of a forest.
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