Crystal Madrilejos

So far, the most labor intensive process of the garden has been preparing the garden plot. Between mowing, plowing, tilling, raking and weeding, the majority of our time and energy thus far has been spent getting the ground ready for planting.

We’re fortunate to have a big fenced in pasture right next to our house that has been nothing but grass since the dinosaurs, as Andrew likes to say. Originally it was a field for horses, but there hasn’t been any there for nearly 20 years. It gets full sun all day (except for one area that gets shade towards the end of the day from a huge tree in our backyard) and seems the perfect spot for the garden.

We started the plot by measuring out the plot then mowing it.

Here is the plot after mowing, next step: plowing.

–c.

So far, the most labor intensive process of the garden has been preparing the garden plot. Between mowing, plowing, tilling, raking and weeding, the majority of our time and energy thus far has been spent getting the ground ready for planting.

We’re fortunate to have a big fenced in pasture right next to our house that has been nothing but grass since the dinosaurs, as Andrew likes to say. Originally it was a field for horses, but there hasn’t been any there for nearly 20 years. It gets full sun all day (except for one area that gets shade towards the end of the day from a huge tree in our backyard) and seems the perfect spot for the garden.

We started the plot by measuring out the plot then mowing it.

Here is the plot after mowing, next step: plowing.

–c.

I’m not exactly sure where I found this. Funny, nonetheless.

[If this is your photo, let us know!]

–c.

From the start, there was no question that we were going to have an organic garden. And one of the most crucial elements of an organic garden is organic compost. My parents have composted kitchen scraps as long as I can remember so the notion of saving kitchen scraps was nothing new to me. But once we started reading up on the correct way to make compost, that’s when our heads started to spin.

Basically, there are a million ways it can be done. On one hand you have people who are super meticulous about the ratios of “greens” to “browns” and how often to turn it, and swear that you have to do this and have to do that. And on the other hand you have people like my parents who throw things in a pile at the edge of the woods and it seems to turn out fine regardless of the limited time they spend caring for it.

I think we are on the right track. Andrew built this amazing and beautiful composting bin out of old willow trunks. It seems strange that something so nice looking will be filled with decomposing stuff. I don’t think we will able to use any of the compost this season though. We got such a late start and like most good things it takes time to build up. Next growing season we will be ready!

–c.

From the start, there was no question that we were going to have an organic garden. And one of the most crucial elements of an organic garden is organic compost. My parents have composted kitchen scraps as long as I can remember so the notion of saving kitchen scraps was nothing new to me. But once we started reading up on the correct way to make compost, that’s when our heads started to spin.

Basically, there are a million ways it can be done. On one hand you have people who are super meticulous about the ratios of “greens” to “browns” and how often to turn it, and swear that you have to do this and have to do that. And on the other hand you have people like my parents who throw things in a pile at the edge of the woods and it seems to turn out fine regardless of the limited time they spend caring for it.

I think we are on the right track. Andrew built this amazing and beautiful composting bin out of old willow trunks. It seems strange that something so nice looking will be filled with decomposing stuff. I don’t think we will able to use any of the compost this season though. We got such a late start and like most good things it takes time to build up. Next growing season we will be ready!

–c.

I’m looking forward to more sunny days and less rainy ones. And a lot more days like this one at Medina Lake last summer.

Our niece, Abigail at Medina Lake.

–c.

We’ve come a long way since our last garden meeting! This is what’s been happening.

After we had our soil tested, we made a list of all the veggies everyone wanted to try to grow and came up with a pretty ambitious list. Every person was then responsible for doing a little research on a few different plants. While everyone was reading up on their veggies we ordered the seeds from Seed Savers Exchange and anxiously awaited their arrival.

Fast forward a few weeks and here we are with starts growing in the basement under lights, a plowed and tilled garden plot with fencing, and a composting bin made from thin willow logs.

This is our first time gardening anything more than a few tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in pots on the window sill. Our plot is 30 ft. X 40 ft. with a separate plot for extra potatoes. We had anticipated that it would be a lot of work, but you never really know how much work until you are standing before a seemingly huge plot of upturned earth with a rake in your hand and the sun blazing down on your back. But it’s been refreshing and rewarding to feel the work in my body. Something that I can’t really say I experience sitting at the computer all day.

To quote what Andrew said in a previous post

“the day we’re laying on our backs in our overalls eating fresh, warm strawberries straight off the vine in the summer sun will be the day I happily forget all the planning and laboring.”

–c.

We’ve come a long way since our last garden meeting! This is what’s been happening.

After we had our soil tested, we made a list of all the veggies everyone wanted to try to grow and came up with a pretty ambitious list. Every person was then responsible for doing a little research on a few different plants. While everyone was reading up on their veggies we ordered the seeds from Seed Savers Exchange and anxiously awaited their arrival.

Fast forward a few weeks and here we are with starts growing in the basement under lights, a plowed and tilled garden plot with fencing, and a composting bin made from thin willow logs.

This is our first time gardening anything more than a few tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in pots on the window sill. Our plot is 30 ft. X 40 ft. with a separate plot for extra potatoes. We had anticipated that it would be a lot of work, but you never really know how much work until you are standing before a seemingly huge plot of upturned earth with a rake in your hand and the sun blazing down on your back. But it’s been refreshing and rewarding to feel the work in my body. Something that I can’t really say I experience sitting at the computer all day.

To quote what Andrew said in a previous post

“the day we’re laying on our backs in our overalls eating fresh, warm strawberries straight off the vine in the summer sun will be the day I happily forget all the planning and laboring.”

–c.

We’re back from NYC! Thanks to our Brooklyn friends that came out to see us on our short visit, we had a wonderful time as usual.

Before we embarked on our 8+ hour drive from NE Ohio to Brooklyn, NY, Andrew printed out a list of every local NPR station from here to there ensuring our listening capabilities. We’ve done the drive so many times that we have to keep coming up with new ideas to keep us occupied. And this brings me to the main purpose of this post!

I’m sure many people are getting weary of listening or watching the news and being bombarded with dropping employment rates, rising UNemployment rates, stimulus packages, and swine flu. Talk about a real downer! Unfortunately, the bad economy has hit us close to home so I’ve been especially happy to announce that I am contributing to a new blog dedicated completely to thinking positive.

The company I work at, Wise Group, has launched a grass-roots campaign to “Unleash the Positive” to inspire people during these tough times. My first post on the wiseUP blog is up today, you can check it out here.

You can check out all the posts by going to www.wisegroup.com/blog where you can learn about our “10 to Change” challenge where we are encouraging people to try to make a difference in the world/community/city/town/themselves with only $10. My “10 to Change” idea will be posted next Wednesday (May 20th) so check back then to see what I came up with.

If you have any ideas for a “10 to Change” please feel free to email me or my editor Ann at Wise Group and we will post it on our site.

–c.

I’ve been noticing that images that I’ve been posting recently will disappear. And to get them to show, I have to re-publish the post. I’m trying to figure out how to fix it and hopefully it won’t be an issue for much longer.

–c.