Showing posts with label planting. Show all posts

8.10.2011

Fall Planting

While it's not fall yet in Tacoma it is time to start thinking about it. I wanted to some cool weather plants started to give them ahead start. We need all the help we can get around these parts. Also I had this pesky box from my CSA laying around that I did want to just break down.

How to turn a box into a greenhouse for planting seeds:

Gather the parts. Box, plastic bag, seeds and egg cartons. I cut the flaps off mine.

Fill up your cartons with dirt and moisten it so the seeds have a nice place to start out.

Press the little seeds into the soft dirt and arrange the egg cartons in the box.

Cover up with your garbage bag. Now place in a sunny spot. Water when needed. If you use a waxed box you can add a little water straight into the box. Just sit back and wait for little plants.

5.17.2010

What Passes For Spring

Around these parts things move at their own speed. In some respects we're busy-busy, sometimes we're down right explosive (its been 30 years since the Mt. St. Helens explosion) but then on the other hand summer doesn't get around to showing up until July 5th.
Other than a week or two of 70-ish degree weather that seemed to pop up out of now where in Feb and a couple of days in March, Spring works in mysterious ways here. Our local garden center (Garden Sphere, which also carries worms and chickens) recommends that tomatoes go in the ground this week, and sooooooo tomatoes went in the ground. Except that the ground is still full of weeds and some plants that need to be moved. To get around this problem and to remember the water the little guys I went for container gardening.

Tacoma also has a special recycling program for its waste water, its called TAGRO. Its just what you think it is. Yes, waste water turned into dirt. Its clean! It also causes plants to go CRAZY! I got 4 bags. Since our house is pushing 90 years old, so is the dirt, and it shows. Over the next year I plan to begin our compost bin and get the flower beds back into shape.

(by the way these are plastic and are super easy to move around, you can find them at Home Depot)

With two red cherry's, an orange and a yellow, plus a purple I hope to have a great turn out. Granted I don't like raw tomatoes I do like them grilled, cooked, squished and any other way but right off the vine. But I do like lots of herbs! So they went into the ground last week, in their own special bed by the kitchen.

ps. On my way to Crossfit this morning, as I turned from McCarver on to Tacoma I saw a deer. A deer, just walking down the side walk as if on her way to get a cup of coffee at Tulley's. However she freaked a ran back up into the neighborhood. Even though Tacoma is a major city, its hills and cliffs where not all graded like our big sis Seattle and we have quite a few large undeveloped green areas which have become home to near by wildlife. This makes me glad I have a fence.

1.15.2010

Sweet Time

The Great Sweater Remakes of 2010 are on their way. First step is total sweater destruction. I don't plan on frogging all the bad projects, a few are just going to get a partial rip, and other are getting the sewing machine.

Really it wasn't painful at all, it really felt great!

The remains of a dead sweater.

Another thing that is taking its freakin' time, my orchid. All covered in HUGE fat buds just waiting to bloom. Good crap if this doesn't pop soon it might have to move with blooms. Wait, I see whats going on here. In the last move the two orchids (this one and the sickie one) the two African Violets and my peace lily got stuffed into a box and moved across country in a stupid hot truck. If the orchid blooms, I'll treat it all nice and stuff. Darn plant.