April 23, 2009

Ah, the weather started out horrible today.  The rain clouds chased me all the way to work.  Fortunately for me, they only caught me running from my car to the bus at the park & ride.  Good thing too, because it was a downpour.

Last evening there was no post.  I know, duh.  It was because I went to the Mariner's game and didn't get home until 11.  Boy was it cold, but we had GREAT seats!  We were in the front row, third base side over the visitor's dugout. 



In case you're wondering, that's Ken Griffey Jr., who started his career here back in the early 90s and has chosen to end it here, coming back for one year.  Of course, you can probably guess, but the game didn't interest me in the slightest.  I was FAR more impressed by the pre-game show.  I was excited to see that the first pitch was thrown out by none-other than Seattle's very own Ciscoe Morris!  Sure, he's a plant gardener by trade (one of the nation's first Master Gardener's from one of the first classes), but his potato page is linked to my potato page.  Silly, I know, but I'm a gardener.

Anyway, back to today.  The weather started out horrible, but around 2 the clouds cleared, the sun came out and it got up to 55 degrees or so.  When I got home, the kids and I went out and pulled some weeds from the blueberry beds.  Then we had some SERIOUS fun.  It was time for the kids to start their very own gardens.

Of course, they had to do the really hard parts...



No, Logan wouldn't be planting THOSE yellow flowers.



But aren't they cute?  In case you're wondering, those are the scrap pieces left over from our SWC build party a few weeks ago (see instructions link in the upper right hand corner of this blog).  Here they are posing with their chosen gardens!



As you can see, I just set them on top of some landscape fabric.  Notice that I placed them lid-side up, the opposite of EG's method.  It doesn't matter what side is up, but this is safer for the kids.



It took nearly two bags of re-used Mel's Mix from last year's potato bins.  Recall that after the potatoes were out of it, I heavily amended the mix with Starbuck's Grounds for your Garden (note that I've read that coffee grounds are actually 12:1 CN ratio, not 20:1, which makes them near perfect, free, fertilizer).  Anyway, one of the bags was much wetter than the other, and had tons of worms in it.  The kids loved that.  Here they are playing in their gardens...



 Notice in the foreground one of Sandy's blueberry bushes is blooming.  It is the first of my blushes to do so, and the leaves came on so quickly.  As with my other blueberries, these two will get pruned back such that only a few berries mature (for taste tests).  That way, the root systems and branches can get strong and healthy for the next 50 plus years.  Can you imagine these two lifting their kids up to pick blueberries from the top of these 5 foot high plants?  Ok, enough of that.

After they had their fun, we spent about a half hour planting individual carrot seeds into roughly 15x6 rows, square foot method style (the interior measurements are 20 by 13).  Logan got Solar Yellow carrots and Owen got Atomic Red carrots.  Those are their favorite colors.  Of course I've got tons of standard orange and some Purple Haze for variety. 

Here they are proudly standing next to their planted and watered gardens...



 Aren't these junior gardeners cute?  They had a blast and they'll be able to water, thin and watch the carrots grow!  Maybe Logan will keep a journal of the growth.  He loves doing that.

One of the two carrots needs to be picked young or they get tough.  The other tastes better cooked (what carrot tastes better cooked?!).  Alright, they're gag carrots, but the kids will have a blast.  Oh yeah, and I had to mention this.  When I opened the flap, tucked underneath was printed that they were Seminis seeds.  /Sigh.  I knew Ed Hume Seeds got some of their seeds from Monsanto, but I was really hoping that these weren't them.  Ah well, they got my $5.  Hehe.  If it makes the kids happy, cool.

Enjoy your garden, I know these two do!