Chore day

For a change, I got up early - about ten past five. It's still dark nowadays, but I let the mippies out anyway. I'm still afraid that something could happen to Mewthos, but I need to get over that and let them have as much play time as possible. I'm considering letting them out during the day, while I'm at work - but I still fear accidentally running over one of them when I leave in the dark or, in a few weeks time, get home in the dark.

Today I'm seconded as kitty cuddler - everything else takes a backseat! Mewthos has been mewling like a maniac, Lady Jane was mipping then retreated and Ziva is under my feet where ever I go. So, I took the time to cuddle and tummy tickle and brush and scratch one after the other after the other until everyone was happy! I must do that more often, spend more time with mippies and less time working in the garden!

I've managed to do three loads of laundry, all hanging to dry, and after tonight's shower, I'll wash towels as well. I've washed the dishes and prepared food - basically, I've just cut up the vegetables to be mixed with ... I think I'll cook some spaghetti for a change? Then I just mix them with the vegetables, add some Avocado Oil and that's a cold dinner! I've also baked up a bread and defrosted something to put on it.

I did some research on root depth of the various plants which have sprouted, so that I can work out the pot sizes I need. Beans and Tomatoes need the deepest pots: 90-120 cm! Cor crikey! I should try to dig a hole to sink them into! Oh, and the Zucchini and Watermelon also need about 90 cm depth!

I've decided that, if I can't get pots of the required dept, I'll get one's half the required dept and place them on top of each other. Cut the bottom out of one, drill some holes and tie them together with cable ties. I should also try to get some mesh to build either a cage or trellis for those plants which need it. Which should be simple, just using cable ties.

It doesn't have to be perfect - it's my first attempt! I'll learn which plants do well and which may need a better home.

Okay, I've just done the maths ... I looked online what's in stock at the store near work, then allocated optimal pots per plant ... but when I did the cost calc, I went "Whoa!" I'd need to grow about 90 healthy vegetables to break even! And that's without the cost of soil or mesh! So ... I had better play with those numbers again and reduce the number of pots!

Right ... I've cut it down by 30%, but when I add the Potting Soil, it goes right back up there! Sigh. The problem - well, in this case it is a problem for me - is basically that every single seed seems to have sprouted! It's easy to tell with the large seeds, like watermelon, beans, peas and cucumber and such, because I put two seeds into each hole ... and they all produced seedlings! I didn't expect that!

But I'm forgetting the reason I started this project! It wasn't about the cost of vegetables in stores so much as a) the quality of the vegetables in the stores plus, most importantly b) the time it takes me away from my mippies to get fresh vegetables at least once a week! I thought I could easily get fresh vegetables near home; after all, this is farmland, but, alas, it isn't so.

Anyway, the pots are a one-time investment, I will re-use them over and over. The potting soil is not so expensive, so I can replenish that every time and put the 'used' soil into the garden, start feeding the ground some nutrients. I've decided against getting mesh, at least for now; I still have quite a lot of stakes plus plenty of wire to tie up peas, tomatoes and such. Lets wait to see just what I really need.

At least, with all the ground-clearing I've done here, I won't have trouble finding places for all these pots! I think I will start off by moving them into single-level pots, then see what grows and add another level as needed. They'll still be somewhat crowded ... well, next time, I'll use fewer seeds! I can plan better, once I have more experience!

Unfortunately, this will put a bit of a dent into my budget ... I may have to postpone the Tablet purchase ... sorry, Rose!

I can't fit all the Potting Soil I need into my boot, anyway, so I'll have to take as much as will fit and get the rest either another time, or from Ludwig's down the road. Some of the plants might also object to being expected to grow outside their season ...

I went to sit outside and Mewly decided that, since he's had such a lot of lovies today, he'd like to go for a stroll. He kept looking back to make sure I'm not disappearing while he crossed the open space! For a change, he was the last one to come home!

They're all purring with their tummies full of yummies, and - for a change - I've also filled mine with yummies! I chopped the veggies, cut the rump into cubes, cooked some spaghetti and enjoyed my dinner! I've packed some to eat at work tomorrow, and will enjoy another lot for dinner tomorrow night, I'm sure!

I've showered and the towels are washing as I write this - I set towels to wash AND dry, because they come out so lovely and fluffy from the dryer! When I hang them up, they get a bit hard and I have to stretch-beat them soft.

Uh oh! There is a gecko with a baby driving Miss Mip absolutely wild! It's sitting right under the curtain rail ... I can see her Ladyship will try to climb up the curtains! That's not going to end well ... she's not a half kilo kittie anymore! Mewthos is stretched on the floor in the passage and Ziva is curled up on the clean towels ... well, I say clean, but they are now dustier than the one I use every day!

Ai, ai, ai, Miss Mip is now appealing to me for help to reach her prey! This is not the first such appeal today, either, ha ha ha! Now Mewthos has seen the geckos as well, and is also appealing to me for help to reach! Ziva just came out of her closet and is now sitting in the shelf on my right, getting her ears scratched - so I've been typing with only my left hand.

It's half past eight, time for me to turn in ...

Hello, my garden!

I woke up at five, but since the sun won't rise before six, I chose to take my cue from the sun - and grabbed mippies passing by for cuddles.

They were quite excited to get out early and had a lovely stroll and explore! I found Lady - as usual - in the tree and Mewthos mewled for attention going on and on and on and on. I picked him up at least a dozen times already, he still jumped onto my back when I was pulling weeds and started to settle down on my back! Hello? That's not going to work, my boy!

So, I didn't get to work on the thorns, instead I cleared more of that tall grass stuff. There are loads and loads of these succulents with the red flowers everywhere, and between them grows that horrid thin grass, which grows long and longer but not upright, making it very difficult to find the plant to cut it. I filled at least another wheelbarrow and uncovered another sprinkler as well as another spekboom.

I worked under the Wag-n-bietjie, which hindered me every chance it got! One time, it pulled out my hair ribbon. It's also dropped a lot of thorny bits onto the ground, and I've bled quite a bit today.

As I was working, I kept trying to figure out what I should do with my climbing and large plants - I would like to build something myself, and I'd like it to be nice; I don't think I'm ready, yet. Plaster won't work, since plaster can't get wet. I'm not up to building with cement, quite yet, and I also don't want to invest a lot of money, at the moment - since I'm still recovering from the move. And that leaves only plastic. I don't like plastic. Sigh. I've had a look online, and I can't seem to find plastic pots large enough to hold tomato plants - not fully grown ones, anyway.

Which brings me back to my initial thinking, i.e. square one: do the best I can afford, and if the plants can't grow to their full potential, that's good enough - for now. Let's be real here: I've only been here two months, and in that time I've achieved really a lot! But Rome wasn't built in a day and I have a long way to go, before I have everything in place that is needed for growing vegetables continuously and copiously. If I can get just enough to keep me going, that's all I wanted, for now, anyway!

It's two in the afternoon and I took another close look at my pots - and more vegetables are sprouting! The tomatoes are finally poking through, and I have a few Butternuts showing their first leaves! And I think the first Pea in saying hello!

I just spent two hours selecting and editing photo's, it'll take me at least another hour to upload and caption them ... I hope you'll appreciate this months photo-episode :)

Well, I've fried myself a rump steak - although I'm sorry to say, I'm not enjoying it very much. It tastes fine, I just don't seem to feel like eating today.

I've been keeping my seed spreadsheet updated, capturing which seed poked it's first sprout on which day. My herbs don't seem too enthusiastic, yet, nor the lettuce. No pressure! I'll be using the spreadsheet to work out how may pots of what size I need - I'll try to pop in to Builders again on Tuesday, at lunchtime, though; I'm not doing this after hour traffic to myself again! I've decided I'll get a collection of the biggest plastic pot they have and make a plan with those. Oh, I've also set myself a budget - but first, I need to look at how many I really need and then maybe re-evaluate. I'll also need bags and bags of potting soil to fill those pots! The pots outside used up almost three bags alone - and that excludes the herb pot, where I used the 'special' potting soil, supposedly ideal for herbs.

Mippies have come in - Janey, as always, needing an extra invitation. They cleaned out their bowls completely - twice! So I gave them a third sachet. A moth flew into the lounge and it's driving the mippies crazy - Mewthos is mewling at it in frustration, which frustrates me!

It's ten to eight, and, even though I took a nap at noon, I'm ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow it's house work! Laundry, dishes, and such fun stuff. I can't really do any gardening anyway, since I've quite buggered up my right index finger - it's got a blister and a thorn. I think the tip of the thorn is still in there, I'll have to look at it tomorrow in daylight.

Photos

Sunrise at work

The nest under the roof, just outside, next to the table

Mewthos getting ready to use my garden as his toilet!

I've cleared a lot around the bench

Ziva hiding in the tall grass!
All mippies loved the tall grass - they're not to pleased
that I'm pulling it out

Progress! If you look at Mewthos' toilet picture, you'll see
the scrawny tall spekboom behind the tall grass.

Something I discovered, when I cleared the grass

My landlord had planted this stuff throughout the entire garden,
to discourage the grass ... it's everywhere!

I wondered what these were ...

Flowers! Very different, but beautiful nonetheless!

I've planted the first lot of Rose's succulents

The cabbage plant is doing well,
as are the desert roses!

Miss Mip investigating ... that looks familiar? Wasn't one of those
right by one of our favourite pottie spots back in PE?

Two of the tall Spekboom!

Sunset

Sunrise! The same type of colouring I
photographed so often in the east at sunset in PE!
This is the west at sunrise in Pretoria.
You don't see it every day, though

Which kitty can this be?

Who else, but Lady Jane!

It's a bit blurry, but it's such a perfectly typical
Mewthos, I just had to post it

And a perfectly typical Lady Jane

These are the Melamine bowls I got for my kitties,
although they are a type of plastic, they don't feel quite like plastic.
Bit of a mix between plastic and porcelain, I'd say

And here they are again ... in use

Mister Twirly in full twirl

Do you see what I mean about the
plants overflowing?

These are the pots I used for the Dianthum, getting them
 out of the ground. I'm not yet sure whether they survived the ordeal

I planted geraniums and more succulents - I needed the space
for my seeds

It looks quite nice with the tecoma log border!
The rainbow in the bottom right is because the sprinkler is on,
spraying a fine mist

I'm afraid this Vieruurtjie didn't survive

This one, however, is still doing well

Progress

Taken from the gate, in front of the car

Only one of the Lavender looks alive ... the other two .. not.

Sjoe! Where can I find space for all of these?

Outside my kitchen

To the right of the kitchen, outside my lounge

All clean and looking
beautiful!

This is where the Nasturtiums now live

I've placed some heavy books in the bottom shelf, and the few you can see in the second shelf
Mewthos and Ziva absolutely love to sleep there!

Evicting succulents from the pots

I couldn't think of anywhere else to plant the little spekboom!

The trunk you see, is also a spekboom.
Can you spot the succulents I planted?
Hint: I've put black compost around each!

My car is covered in mippie prints!

Miss Curious Mip!

In front of the Strelizia is the Linaria, I think. And, of course,
the last Dianthum 'rescued' from the garden.
More Linaria showing up white in the back.

Nicely organised, eh?

I've made some room ...

Oh, and it's not just the car which gets covered in
mippie prints! They just walk right across me!

Sunrise

I frequently have to 'rescue' whatever is on my table,
since Mewthos loves to roly-poly on it!

Ziva mipping at me from behind the chair I'm sitting on

Chubby Chops Mewthos 

Lady Jane just inside the lounge, behind the window,
right by the open door

Organised, eh?

I also gave this plant fresh soil - I hope it recovers!

I can finally keep my bedroom windows
open again! Lady Jane is not impressed,
though!

These were so happy to finally get into the garden,
they immediately started blooming!

The Crime Scene ...
this is where my Oregano died

Sherlock Holmes is on the case ...

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is the Butternut

Radishes

Cucumbers!

Zucchini!

Bush Beans!

Mustard!

As you can see, only two sections are showing any green.
On the left, you can see some Sage making an appearance and on the right Chamomile

In case you've been wondering whether Mewthos
has changed his colouring: No, THIS is how he adds the shades of brown!

I saw this last night, next to the bench!

Do you see what I mean about his colouring?
He's been sporting the 'brown chops' look for a while, now!

And here he is, investigating my landlords vegetable garden!

Ziva also lies quite cheekily right outside their front door 

This came out quite nicely - sunrise this morning.
To the eye, the sun is a red ball, I can't capture that with the camera, I'm afraid.

This is Ziva, teasing the dogs ... she crouches there, hoping to lure a doggie near her,
then out come the claws and doggie gets a smack ...
and Ziva comes running to me, all bushy tailed!

Carrots!