Thursday, May 30, 2019

Summer Arrives . . . And More Balance

That's the way it usually happens up here.  One day we're still slipping into our down jackets before going outside, and the next day while working in the garden wearing a sleeveless blouse I'm so sweaty by noon time I want a shower.

No, we didn't hit 100° as some of you have already, but we did get into the seventies which was the warmest we've seen it yet this spring/early summer.  I even had three of those big, bothersome, black horse flies buzzing me.  After one landed and bit the back of my arm, I was so mad I stood still until the second and then the third one landed on my forearm and I smacked 'em both!  Killed 'em dead, I did.

Today we had a lovely though cooler day and I got much planting done in the raised beds.  So much so that I'm almost too pooped to post tonight.

Also, I did come to a big decision as I was making dinner.  You've all heard me talk about gaining more balance in my life, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Toward that (elusive) end, I decided not to plant anything but a green manure crop in the field garden this year.

We should give our growing areas a rest now and then.  (Hey, that's what I'm striving for . . . a rest now and then!)  And it's been several years since we've not grown crops in the field garden.

Since this year I'm not growing the usual veggies that are planted in the field garden, ones that take up so much space like Brussels sprouts (very labor intensive so I'm taking a year off from them), green cabbage (growing only red in the raised beds), corn (I had planned on doing it this year but have changed my mind), shell peas (which I've put in another area), pickling cukes (have plenty of pickles from last year), etc., etc. . . . it popped into my head that this would be a good year to give the field garden a rest.  (And me also.)

The only dilemma is that I won't be growing our own potatoes.  A supply of which is something we'll have to figure out for this coming winter.

We'll plant buckwheat or oats or wheat as a cover crop in the field garden, till it under before it heads out, and perhaps even sow a second crop of another grain.

This will eliminate a lot of my time spent in the garden.  Thinking of having just the 27 raised beds (and the strawberries and asparagus bed and fruit trees and a couple of other smallish plots) will free me up for other pursuits this summer.

Now if I can just come up with an excuse to avoid painting all that outside trim of the house that's on my list . . .   

9 comments:

Michelle said...

TWENTY-SEVEN RAISED BEDS?!? Sheesh, woman; no wonder you talk about needing balance!

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - But my gardening efforts keep us in veggies and fruits all year long. Do I get any credit for that? (She says sheepishly.) And the beds are each only 4' x 8'. Definitely not the 4' x 20' ones some people use.)

wisps of words said...

Pretty new Header!!!

And WONNNNNNNDERFUL!!!! Caps intended!!!! Cutting back some!!!

Are you sure, _you_ are writing this??? Are you sure, your blog was not hacked by someone, who is just writing this, to make me happy??????? Hmmmmmmm....?

-grin-

Awwww Hon, this is so wonderful to hear. You do deserve less work. You will manage to find potatoes. Etc. Etc.

The land will thank you. Your body will thank you.

Now, about Papa Pea............................... ...............................

Lynne said...

I think that's a wonderful idea, plus it will help the soil to revive itself. I should say you to! It's a plus to have the dry and warmer weather to clean up the garden . and plant. Hopefully you'll have a little more time to yourself! Oh dear, I forgot the painting the trim on the house! ox

Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - Thanks for the compliment on the new header photo. It's a lie. It was taken of one of our apple trees a couple of years ago near the middle of May. This year (this cold year) we now have only teeny tiny leaves showing on the trees. The blossoms will be very late this year.

I've always maintained there's a very lazy person inside me trying to get out. I think you're doing a good job of encouraging her!

Lynne - Did you say you're coming for an extended visit to paint the trim for me? What?! You DIDN'T say that? Darn. ;o}

Susan said...

What a grand idea! You should be able to find organic potatoes around you, right? I do think that 27 raised beds is an amazing amount of raised beds, but having to raise most/all of your own vege and fruit takes a lot of space. We've been besieged by black flies and gnats this so-called spring. It is so irritating to work swathed in bug netting, but I refuse to be breakfast/lunch/dinner to insects! And they love us sweeties, don't they? :) xo

Mama Pea said...

Susan - Our Co-op does, indeed, always have organic potatoes, but geesh, they are always so pricey. On the other hand, how much does it "cost" me to raise our year's supply of taters? We'll figure out something come fall and time to put some potatoes in the root cellar. (I hope.)

The best thing about our cold, late spring/early summer is that it does seem to have to some degree zapped the biting bug reproductive cycles on hold, or at least delayed them. We've seen very few black flies right here in our location (and they are the first harbingers of the onslaught) for which I, especially, am very, very grateful. Yep, it does drive me nuts when I have to garden with a head net on. But it is the price we sweeties have to pay for being so darned attractive to the little blood suckers. Sigh.

Sam I Am...... said...

You are a better woman than I am. Although if I was up north I would be gardening to beat the band! Down here I find it daunting and disappointing but I still give it a try but in containers.
I think you do amazing!

Mama Pea said...

Sam I Am - I've come to the conclusion that we all face different challenges when it comes to gardening no matter where we're trying to do it! Thanks for the nice words. We're currently back to our cold, cold weather. We had 37 degrees night before last. But, hey, it didn't frost!