Still too dry. Soon to be hot.

 Blessings Darlings!

We're heading into a little heat wave here - 4 days in the 90's, at least one currently forecast to be 98. And the rain forecast for today didn't arrive, of course.  The somewhat underwatered basil really really wants to go to seed.  I really, really want it to keep going so I can make lots of pesto.  OTOH, the Chubby Hubby HATES pesto.  OTOOH, the Spawn LOVES it.

 
I've watered the potted plants on the patio, but not the ones in the actual veggie garden and certainly not the herb garden. That's hose work, and the hoses are already tucked away because the mowers the management hired come tomorrow morning. So I'll water after they mow, I guess, tho' the day will already be getting hot by then.  

 
If I was in charge of mowing the lawn - I'd certainly not be mowing this dry grass that hasn't grown at all since we're in the middle of a drought.  But I'm not.

 
I've made more progress in my lazy way to expand the garden (I cover the grass with cardboard, the flattened boxes we use to carry our groceries home from Aldi's). I've covered about another 100 square feet - like a 4 foot by 25 foot swath. I don't know if I'll expand plants into it this fall or wait until spring.

The First Aches of Spring

Blessings Darlings!

I started working in the garden today.  I have to move fast so I can get early spring crops in, well, in early spring.  I didn't finished putting mulch down to smother the grass last fall, so I have to do it now.  Also, at least part of the garden should be covered in plastic so the earth can warm faster to be ready for the spring crops.

Seeds are on sale, for 50 cents a package, at Aldi this week.  I'll also see if they are available at a dollar store type place around here for less. 

What I started doing today was covering more of the garden with a layer of news paper topped with dead grass today.  The grass doesn't blow away in our wind, while the news papers DO blow away if not covered.  I used up one full 'book box (1.5 cubic feet) of news paper.  I used the grass that had grown up at the fence line last year, and had died back over winter - thus saving me having to use the little bit of pricey straw/hay that I still have. 

With what I got done today, about 2/3 of the garden is covered.  The remaining 1/3, of course, is where the grass is tallest and it takes more news papers and heavier amounts of dead grass/hay/straw to cover it.  The 2/3 done also needs some spots dealt with where grasses have managed to push thru' the news papers.

Where does a cheapie like me get news papers?  Most of mine are free - I got a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal!  We also do subscribe to one news paper, for local food ads and coupons.

I didn't work in the garden ALL that long, since I only used up that one box of news papers.  But, holy cow, am I every achy!  My legs say I was doing a lot of stooping, my shoulders and arms are talking about me 'harvesting' the dead grasses by hand.

But it has to be done - it's about 2 weeks 'till potatoes can be planted, and spinach and turnips and beets and such should be going in soon as well.

Good eats!

Frondly, Fern