Seasons

We’ve had some unseasonably warm days this week. I say unseasonable but you can pretty much bank on Alabama having a few days in February that feel like spring before winter takes hold again.

I think the hardest part of gardening is waiting. Ecclesiastes 3 talks about all the seasons of life. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” (Ecc 3:1, ESV) Right now, we wait for things to happen, for the seeds to sprout. Later, we will have more to do. But we wait expectantly, because things are happening even if we can’t see them.

At this writing, it’s been about 6 days since our little seeds were planted. So far, no change.

They are supposed to sprout within 7-14 days. If we see no green by next week, I will have to start again. I think I should have covered the jars with cling film so I may do that. I think it’s supposed to help retain moisture in the soil and create a bit of a micro climate for these tender things. I moved the jars into a window sill for better sunlight.

Do you see the tiny white flowers?

How about here?

The shamrocks we repotted, however, are doing fabulously! There’s lots of new growth and even some flowers. The shamrocks are funny. During the day, they look like the above. At night, however, they close their leaves and form these odd little three-pointed shapes, like a triangle with the sides pinched to the middle.

Finally, a word on composting. I spoke with a college friend who had a large garden last year and composts. She said my bucket may not be a composter after all but just... a bucket. She said that compost piles have to reach an internal temperature of over 100 degrees to “do their thing”. So it looks like we must start again there too. Maybe I should look into a worm composter?

As you can see, we are in the season of waiting, error and beginning again. Good luck to you and happy gardening.

ISM

Nurseries & Seeds

Hopefully late posts won’t become a trend. We’ve had a busy couple of weeks. New jobs, colds and lots of cold weather do fill up the days. 

Anyways, we finally went to visit the local plant nursery. I spoke to the owner and she had some great tips. She said that raspberries would probably do best in a 7-10 gallon container rather than in the ground since it gets so hot here. She said a 7 gallon container should be big enough for a hydrangea. She also said to plant spinach seeds right away and then replant again  in September for a fall crop. So our task today is planting spinach and some other things.

Note the coffee filter to stop the hole.

Ready to go!!

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As you can see, most of these little seed pots are either yogurt containers or baby food containers. I only used potting mix this time and will feed them plant food next week.  Have fun gardening!

ISM

Compost Update & Other Thoughts

I apologize for the late post this week but life happened. Between a stomach bug, a teething Tiny Person and naval duties for Papa Sailorman (my husband), gardening took a bit of a back burner. The good thing about gardening and composting is that they continue working even if left unattended. 

We’ve been putting things in the compost bin for several weeks now. I try to “toss” everything (like a salad... with tongs) once every two weeks. Mostly, we compost coffee grounds, tea leaves/bags, vegetable and fruit scraps, and toilet paper rolls. It’s starting to break down and really isn’t that smelly. There is a lovely earthy smell but it doesn’t smell of rot... thank goodness! There is some mold and things growing too but I think it’s supposed to do that. We will see.

Also, the shamrocks I transplanted seem to be recovering. I spent some time this morning removing the leaves and stems that died during the shock of transplant. There are some new shoots and some of the shoots are still thriving. The good thing is we have some new seeds if we need them. 

 Before I go, I want to mediate for a bit in the mercies of God. Lamentations 3:22-24 says “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” During the last year, my family has been through some tough times. We’ve moved twice, had some financial difficulties and we’ve been adjusting to a new baby. It’s such a huge comfort to know that the mercies of Jesus are new every morning. It gives my heart joy and hope when times are tough. My prayer is that this garden will be a picture of the fresh, daily mercies of Jesus. I want it to be a place of renewal, refreshment and peace. May God richly bless you as you also create a garden of your own.

ISM

Know Your Plants

Know Your Plants

I imagine, like anything in life, there are a lot of ways to approach gardening. Some people may just jump right in and learn as they go. I’m not one of those people. Naturally, I’m a planner. So I’ve been trying to learn about the plants I want to grow and gardening in the south. 

For instance, I have learned about USDA hardiness zones (click here to learn more). We are in 7b. This means that our average, extreme lowest temperature every year is 5-10 degrees and our average last day for frost is April 11.

I’ve also learned that spinach is a cold weather plant, harvested in spring and fall if replanted. This means I have decided to include a third vegetable for summer, carrots. Carrots can’t be transplanted from seed pots to bigger pots because it damages the “crop”. So those will get planted straight into their pots. 

I went ahead and purchased some seeds as peppers will need longer to germinate and spinach, as I said, is a cold weather plant. 

I purchased “Short N’ Sweet” carrots, “Right Stuff Hybrid” sweet peppers, and “Baby’s Leaf Hybrid” spinach. The basil is for my dad. 😊 He wanted to try it so I’m going to do that on the side. I have no idea if these are the best kinds or not but we are in motion. Here goes nothing.

My dad also grows shamrocks and I agreed to repot some and pot new bulbs. The repotting pots I bought were too small but we divided the plant so here goes. I used potting mix and “topsoil” which is a mix of manure and dirt... I think. I also put a coffee filter in the bottom to prevent the soil from leaking out the bottom of the pot.

And so we begin. May the Lord richly bless this endeavor. See you next week.

ISM

Visits & Plans

Visits & Plans

By An Irish Southern Mama

Since I last wrote, I have visited a couple of garden centers and taken stock of what we already have to use for containers for the garden. My parents have four medium sized terra cotta pots I can use and I have access to a #2 washtub. I have several glass yogurt and baby food containers I can use for seedlings. I can’t find a good small compost bin anywhere (apparently it’s not a thing here in North Alabama unless you live on a farm and have a compost pile the size of a small car) but thanks to my mother-in-law, I got one for Christmas. 

I want to do this on as small of a budget as possible so I will be reusing and up cycling a lot. I plan to also visit the local botanical gardens in the next few weeks.

I have decided what I want to plant this season. We will be doing, in the washtub, a raspberry bush. In the four pots, we will be doing spinach, sweet peppers, a hydrangea plant, and hyacinths. I found a small planter so I will be trying to grow some herbs like basil, lemongrass and chamomile. I’m not sure if the pots will be big enough for the spinach or hydrangea but I think we can repot them later if necessary. The herbs, veg, and hyacinths I will do from seed but the raspberry and hydrangea I will purchase a plant. I may purchase plants for the veg too but we will see. 

The next task is to clean up the pots and do some in-depth research on these plants. What I mean is I need to know what needs full sun, what kind of drainage it needs, pruning, pests, when to start the seeds, etc. Happy new year!

ISM

Gardening on the Go: Introduction

Gardening on the Go

By An Irish Southern Mama

I have never been much of a gardener. It seemed sort of confusing and mildly disappointing to me. But lately, my family has been going through a depressing and stressful time so I have decided to start a small container garden. Why a garden, you ask? Because I have heard that gardening is a healing activity and my family needs some healing. Why a container garden, you ask? Because my husband is in the U.S. Navy and containers can move. 😁 

I started thinking about a garden when I watched the Netflix show “Big Dreams, Small Spaces”. The Brits know how to do a garden, whether edible or just for the beauty of a garden. Several of the episodes involved gardens for children or for families with children. I would love my daughter to grow up outside, enjoying the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. So here we go. This blog will be my journey learning and growing in my garden. 

The first step is to do some research. This is the perfect time since it’s December and growing season won’t start for awhile... I think. (Who knows... maybe I’m too late, but that’s one of the things I need to find out) I have questions that need answering. Questions like: What kind of pots/containers do I need? Should I start composting? What do i want to grow? What is the purpose of my garden? What safety measures do I need to take for my 10 month old? How do I get my daughter involved? How do I care for my plants? How do I keep out urban thieves (squirrels, chipmunks, etc)? Can I even do this... I do have an infant at home and we are between houses, living with family. So let’s get started!

Question #1: What is the purpose of my garden?

I’ve been reflecting on this one for a couple of days. I think my “garden” should serve several purposes. First, it should be a place for my baby to learn and grow outside safely. Secondly, I want it should be a place to worship Jesus, a sanctuary for anyone who enters. Finally, if I get “crops” to feed my family, that’s a bonus. 

Question #2: What do I want to grow?

Generally speaking, this one was easy. I want to grow a few fruits, vegetables and flowers. I think the British call this a cottage garden. Specifically, this is a wee bit harder. I want to start out small and manageable since I am a complete novice. I’m thinking two vegetables, one fruit and one flower. Maybe two vegetables and two flowers. Maybe even a few herbs. More on this to come.

Question #3: What safety measures do I need to take for my 10 month old?

This is where I could really use some help. Since the plants will be in pots, I think some things are already safer. I’m considering doing things “organically” (or my version of organically) because I think it will make things safer. For instance, I don’t have to fret if she eats produce straight off the plant... unless of course they aren’t ripe. Thoughts?

Question #4: How do I get my daughter involved?

I’ve done a little research on this (mostly on Pinterest) and it seems that most activities will still be too old for her, even next spring. There are two things I’ve found that should be age appropriate. Other suggestions are welcome. I think a dirt box (like a sandbox only with dirt) and a mud pie station are both workable when you are less than 2. A good resource I found at the library is “the Book of Gardening Projects for Kids” by Whitney Cohen & John Fisher. It is very good! 

Question #5: How do I care for my plants?

Refer to question 2. I will be looking at “Alabama Vegetable Gardening” by Walter Reeves & Felder Rushing. (FYI, we currently live in North Alabama. 😁)

Question #6: Should I start composting?

I think so. I think I’ve figured out how to do it and once I acquire a good composting container, we will get going. Woo hoo! 

Question #7: What kinds of containers do I need?

Again, see question 2. I have a few terra cotta pots already but I’m not sure if they are the best options. 

Question #8: Can I even do this?

This is my biggest and most daunting question. I’m doing good to cook dinner, shower and stay on top of laundry with a little one under foot. I usually don’t get time with Jesus or for  personal projects and time with my husband is limited. So can I be disciplined enough to keep the garden up? Will this add some much needed structure to my daily routine (currently, my routine is centered around feedings and naps)? “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37, ESV)

Suggested Reading: “the Book of Gardening Projects for Kids” by Whitney Cohen & John Fisher & “Alabama Vegetable Gardening” by Walter Reeves & Felder Rushing