We were supposed to head out of town this morning for a long weekend in Seattle, but the kid had a bit of a relapse on the sickie front. Not anything too bad or distressing. Just enough that we wanted to keep him around the comfort of home where he could rest and relax and not get overstimulated. It was a gorgeous day today, and we spent a lot of it outside, working on the gardens. Yep. Plural. Last year Billy made the raised beds in the backyard per my instructions and then pretty much left the rest to me. This year he’s INTO it. I’m still doing most of the planning and planting, but he got it into his head that we could garden in the front yard, too, since we get good light there and, well… Why not? Last week he dug up a patch in the front, worked in a bunch of compost from the communal bin, and covered it with black plastic to heat things up and kill off the remaining grass and weeds (in theory. But is a week long enough to do that?). Today we sowed seeds in that bed. Sticking to root veggies, to minimize the temptation for passersby to poach. Carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, potatoes. Mmmmmm.
I’ve been wanting a fig tree to go along with the pear and plum trees we put in, and today we picked one up. While buying the fig tree, I let myself browse through the vegetable starts–always dangerous. Last year, starts followed me home on a regular basis whether I had room for them or not, and I ended up doing some serious container gardening because my vegetable desires far exceeded my raised-bed space. I’ve been pretty damn pleased with the artichokes I started on my own. (Yes, there should be a photo here. I don’t have one. Next time.) And then…you see where I’m going with this, yes? I saw the artichoke starts at the farm store. Big, bold, spiky looking plants. Way bigger and heartier looking than my sweet little artichokes. (You’re right. There should be another photo here.) I got a bit of artichoke inferiority. My artichoke attempt died last year, and I’ve gotten very attached to the idea of getting a good, solid artichoke plant or two going this year. So I bought one of the artichokes and now with the two I’d already started I have three. Three plants that, if they survive, will be enormous perennial monsters. I’m reshuffling garden plans in my mind, trying to decide exactly what permanent spots these things should take.
Also, I have a tragedy to report. Baby slugs decimated my broccoli raab starts. The share and share alike policy in my garden is over. I’m not proud of it, but I will admit I’ve resorted to Sluggo.
My mother used to thow Irish wakes for the slugs by putting out foil pie tins full of cheap beer near the plants they liked to eat. The slugs would flock to it and climb in and then drown. She said they died happy.
I can completely relate to your artichoke inferiority. I had my own episode of marigold inferiority when I went to the grocery store and saw all their beautiful blooking marigolds ready for planting. I thought the seedlings in my basement looked pretty good until then.
Don’t feel bad about the Sluggo (the one I use, which seems to be the same formulation, basically) is called Escar-Go! Heh-heh-heh. Best product I use in the garden.
Sluggo is on my list, too. The shame!
Have you tried old coffee grounds for slugs? Works on my hostas and rhubarb. You know, in case you still have Sluggo guilt. Though, let it be said, I hold my head high as I blast the munching caterpillars with toxic chemicals.
My penny borders are working really well – all my lettuce and peas are still there. And the spinach, where I didn’t take the time to do a border, is all gone.
What kind of artichokes died off, and what kind are you replacing with? I’m trying Imperial Star – it’s an annual some places, but should be perennial in Seattle.
Sounds like you had a great time in your garden. I find working in the vegy garden such a revitalising activity. Good for the soul.
A beer bottle, buried so that its neck is about level with the ground, and half-filled with just a little beer, is another way to use the “death by beer” method. If you put some leaves over the top, it becomes a cool, shaded place for them to hang out and drink beer. Kinda like what teenagers do.
Have you ever seen “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew? We’re trying that this season. Will it avoid the slugs? Maybe.
Heh. I knew you would cave with your non-lethal slug-hugging ways.
Sluggo is good. A bit less expensive than copper foil/strips which also work as the slugs get electrocuted.
The best, so far, and even cheater……..since you have a raised bed…. is get a screen (like in screen door) that comes in rolls and cut a strip wider/higher than the raised bed and wrap it around the outside/inside of the raised bed. The raw edge is jagged enough to kill/hurt those soft-bodied creatures. The only drawback to this, of course, is a concern with the toddler cutting himself.
Since you now have pear, plum and fig trees, you should also get a Meyer Lemon tree. Just make sure it’s on a pot so it can winter indoors out of the hands of Mr. Frost and Mr. Winter.
I can tell you like your garden so much you’re expanding it. That would be hard to even start a little garden in Brooklyn, don’t you think?
Freakin’ slugs. Show them no mercy. When they eat stuff you raised from seeds it feels personal. Can’t speak for the screen method to keep the beasts out, except to say I’ve seen a video of a slug crawling over a razor blade–unharmed and unfazed.
Salting slugs is less harmful to the enviroment. I know it’s awful but I have memories of salting the slugs at my Grandma’s house in northern BC. I was 10 I thought it was cool at the time now it kind of makes my skin crawl….eeeew.