Maintenance

The 3 y.o. and I are loving the "winter peas" (actually snow peas) - we get a handful or so a day and share them. The 5 y.o. and their father turn up their noses at them. This week I also started some seeds indoors, for the first time ever. This is such a mild climate I never felt the need before - it's an experiment with cilantro and lettuce. I got 4 packs of seeds for $1 at the dollar store so felt it was worth the risk. But did I still think to myself while planting them - "wait, let's not use them ALL up"? Of course I did! I am the world's frugalest undergardener.

Unseasonability

I took advantage of both kids being out of the house to dash outside and sow some seeds that might actually have more than a 50% chance of developing without my "assistants". I put in Bibb lettuce, beets, and another round of snow peas. My first set of peas are doing great (by my low standards, that is) - we get a few off it every day and they are crunchy and tasty. At least that's what my kids tell me; I hardly ever get to try one myself. My existing Salad Bowl lettuce and cilantro are doing fine; some beet leaves are peeping up, and I do believe that the radishes are up to something in their container. Otherwise, nothing the kids and I sowed a few weeks ago is visible. That's how it goes in the wide world of potager-ing. The forecast is for 70F today. What the what! I can't blame my seeds for getting confused; I know I am. My toddler wore shorts yesterday and I didn't have a leg to stand on to tell her she shouldn't.

Let's Plant Some Plants

Yesterday was more summery than the average summer day in my microclimate - almost 70 and no clouds. It put me in the mood for gardening - funny how much more appealing it is when you don't have to bundle up to weed. But with other things going on, we didn't have time to get out there much. Today, though, my 3 y.o. and I had the time and energy - well, she always has the energy - to sow some more "winter" crops (honestly, like Dora, I suffer from mixed-up seasons in this crazy weather).

We put in American Flag leeks, Salad Bowl blend lettuce, Tokyo Long White scallions, and slow-bolt cilantro. She reminded me to add "fresh dirt" (compost blend). Thank you, helper, because I sure would have forgotten. As usual, I sprinkle a bit of straw around the new planted area and water with a gentle sprinkle for 15 minutes. As usual, with my helper helping, the row distribution was imperfect. I hope some of the seeds are drifting off to sleep in their new home.

Last night I read Jen Lancaster's Tao of Martha; I particularly enjoyed her gardening chapters. I too have an imaginary love-hate relationship with Martha; I too am not going to have a "cutting garden" in this lifetime.  Martha, Martha, Martha...

Winter Harvest

Peas! My very first snow peas ever, few in number but mighty in crunchy taste. I also picked blackberries. While I was inside getting a colander for the lettuce, my son gobbled down all the berries. He reported they were good.

Winter Gardening

Positioning the marker just so in the pot

After my last post, I fully expected to stay indoors for a couple months. Then my gaze fell on my in-box, and on the radish seeds someone gave my daughter for her November birthday. "Come on kids!" I shouted. "Let's go plant these radishes real quick!"

"Okay!" responded my 5 year old son enthusastically. "And carrots too! They're a winter crop!"

Well. Can't argue with his garden savvy or his gusto, so the three of us spent an hour in the vegetable garden this afternoon. It was in the low 60s, I'd say, a welcome respite from the recent "bitter" (by Bay Area standards) cold. We planted radishes in a pot, and in the ground cilantro, mesclun, beets, and carrots, all from seed. I pulled out my sad, sad plants formerly known as tomatoes, clicked my tongue over my peas, and weeded. Grr. Also tried to redirect some sneaky bamboo, grr x 1000.

Any excuse to practice those kindergarten writing skills

The kids spent their time messing around with the seed packets and decorating plant markers (craft sticks). That was actually a good use of their time, as opposed to having them sow the actual seeds with me, which is a great way to have your lettuce row sprout a big ol' cilantro in the middle. It will be handy to have a visual marker of what went where, since my memory is obviously deteriorating rapidly.

I think the Vitamin D did us all good. Whether we'll reap anything more tangible, time will tell.

Of COURSE you need to bring out about 50 craft sticks to choose from. All the markers too. You never know what you'll need.

Frosty Christmas

We are hopefully nearing the end of a cold snap that's been raging for more than a week. I am trying to avoid looking out back at my poor garden. Needless to say, as the mere undergardener, I did not think of protecting my crops until I walked the kids to school on the first morning after the first frost, and saw many houses with improvised frost covers in their gardens.  "Oops," read my thought bubble. I later went out and picked a couple of the ripe golden cherries just to check. WOW - I have never eaten such a nasty, bitter tomato before. Now I know and will do better next year! As soon as it warms up a little, I'll get out there and pull the tomatoes, peas, and whatever other sorry specimens are still in the ground.

Meanwhile, there's plenty to occupy us with Christmas preparations. My kindergartener is singlehandedly designing ornaments out of construction paper, felt, and sparkly pipe cleaners. My toddler is busy coloring with markers and leaving their caps off. We've got stuff to do, people! See you in January!

Christmas Chraziness Underway

Thanksgiving's a distant memory now; we are full speed ahead to Christmas in my house now. So nice with kids - they are excited by the slightest sprig of holly and the shortest strand of lights on the neighbor's window. Meanwhile, yesterday we harvested another handful of golden cherry tomatoes AND one cute little boysenberry. Dude, you are really going to be sorry you decided to fruit when the cold snap hits tonight.