The Life of A Garden

“If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?” ~ Dr. Lawrence J. Peters

Helpful Hint #3

Never leave a dish bin full of germinating mix lying around - even if you think you might use it again soon(ish); It resembles a litter box and this will not go unnoticed by your kitties. (duh)

On that note...all this studious attention to blogging has let the apartment run to ruin. Drat!
XXKHT

“Few tasks are more like the torture of Sisyphus than housework, with its endless repetition: the clean becomes soiled, the soiled is made clean, over and over, day after day” Simone de Beauvoir quotes

What is black, white and green all over?

Newspaper pots, that's what!

Helpful Hint #2:

editor's note:  I made two, but the straight sided glasses I had in my kitchen were tiny juice and flower vase sized, respectively. Mine had trouble staying together, but I could imagine a little bit of masking tape wouldn't hurt and also if they are all tucked into a nice plastic tray they should work marvy.

After spending over $100 on planting systems, not including  germination mix or potting soil and still not having enough space to plant everything I want to, the time has come to get more creative.

When and if I use these, I promise to link back to this post so we can compare the pros and cons as they arise.

Meanwhile, thanks EHow and YouTube!

XXKHT

p.s. yes, the sound is out of sync.

“The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'." ~anon

In other news....

I have a confession. I want to raise chickens.

Problem: I live in downtown Burlington, Vermont in a two bedroom, upstairs rental, which is one of the many reasons I community garden (and glad for it!).

I'd heard there are chickens in downtown Burlington (figuratively, not literally), but I never dreamed I could keep them myself. I'd always figured raising chickens fitted on the long list of life goals some where between buying a house with property  and building an outdoor bread oven.

I opened the 7Days this morning and what to my wondering eyes should appear? Some Burlington HS kid raising chickens in his backyard downtown, that's what. Now, I'm not a covetous person by nature, but I have to admit, this story makes me plain old fashioned jealous.

Honestly, rarely a week passes that I don't at least once pine aloud for brooding hens of my own. How I long to gather warm green and pink (and brown and blue) eggs out from under happy, clucking birds who live right in my own backyard, where I can get to them whenever. The desire has become something like a mantra.

I eat eggs almost every day. I love them prepared in every way except over hard. If there's such a thing as reincarnation, I was likely an egg sucking spiny anteater in a previous life. But in my defense, at forty-two, I still have exceptional hair and skin, and most people guess my age to be far less than reality.

Besides strong genes, and avoiding the sun in my youth, I've credited this to my love of eggs, with their 13 vitamins and as many minerals and rich protein content. Also, no creature has to die to provide all this goodness; and if you buy from local humane farmers like Lucky Ladies down the Intervale, even better yet.

Studies show that happy animals produce better quality foodstuffs, and eggs are no exception - hens that forage actual insects produce glorious, dark, rich yolks. Ever notice that conventional white egg yolks have a bland, barely yellow hue? Garbage in, garbage out, I say.

Sadly, even though industrious high schooler Zev Chasen, has realized my dream at a tender age, I think I will have to wait until I at least own a home (with or without property). It's hard enough to find housing downtown with two cats - can you imagine trying to explain "flock of brooding hens" on a rental agreement?

For now, veggie porn'll have to do.
XXKHT

Helpful Hint #1: Eggshells are useful additions to the garden. Eggshell tea, made by filling a vessel with eggshells and water and letting it steep for a few days creates a calcium rich liquid for watering plants. Alternately, use the water left over from boiling eggs or intensify the solution by boiling the eggshells first. Tomatoes especially need the calcium and it's supposed to be superior for watering seedlings.

Edge garden beds with loosely ground eggshells as an organic slug repellent. The sharp shells cut the slugs up, so naturally they avoid it.