A time to sow ...

Ooops, I forgot to give yesterday's post a title! I'm now writing these posts live throughout the day, as I get time - not in the word document anymore, like I used to. In word I always have a title, here I tend to forget. I start out using the weekday - simply because I can't think of anything better for now; and if something comes up during the day, I change it. Yesterday I left it blank, though ... you saw what happens! Ha Ha!

One silver lining about all this gardening is, that I don't need to use nails to scratch an itch - my hands are so rough now, they work just fine! I do use hand cream in the evenings, quite generously - but I'm not very kind to them during the day. Well, it's not every day, and I've never been very worried about looking well-manicured. Ha Ha! Good one, eh? If I took my hands to a manicurist, she'd have ten kinds of fits right now! Dirt under the nails, brown under the beds callouses in various places ... I've been busy!

As I expected, I fell asleep quite easily - and I didn't even have to put the fan on, last night! No mozzie buzzing! That'll change again, once my windows are open. I woke up to the alarm but ignored it and got up at six.

I still got to see the sunrise, and since my landlord had got his worker to cut all the tall 'grass' on that side, behind the spekboom, yesterday, I could see it actually rise on the horizon - albeit through the trees - rather than only once it rose above the grass. He also wants to cut the rest of the grass in my garden and this time I said 'okay', since the only time I can pull that out myself is when conditions are perfect: Rain the day or night before, overcast the day I work. It's just too rare - and frankly, I'd rather tend to the beds along the path first.

I've been busy! I've sown Mustard and Chives into one pot, Catnip in another, I've added Carrot seeds to the one pot and I've sown Tomatoes and Basil. I've emptied half of my second bag of potting soil - I may not have enough! Ha Ha! I also found my garden markers, cleaned them, re-labelled them and put them into the appropriate pots. Still, very, very unlike my past gardening style! I can almost hear Rose asking "Who are you? And what have you done with my erstwhile neighbour?"

When I opened the boot to get the next bag of potting soil, all three mippies climbed in to investigate! I had to wait until they had finished before I could close my boot again. I also have to pick up and cuddle mippies, one after the other - except Ziva, of course! Ziva roly-polies on the ground, she doesn't like to be picked up. But Mewthos and Janey? If I could grow a pouch, they'd live in it! Lady Jane just mipped to insist on an extended cuddle session - she's now sitting right behind me, hoping I'll finish this typey stuff and come back outside! I think I'll oblige ...

I've filled more pots and finished the second bag of potting soil! I've been 'extending' it with compost - I want to give the plants as much rooting space as possible. I haven't paid much attention to which plants CAN actually grow in pots and which shouldn't, nor the size of the pots each would grow best in. I just want to get something going - anything! And I want to start harvesting my own vegetables as soon as possible! Now that I've at least got something going, I can take the time to optimise for each plant. I also didn't sow all that much, just three or four of the large seeds and small quantities into three or four holes for the rest. And I've got more than half of each packet of seeds left over.

Right, I've sown Brussel Sprouts, Tomato and Basil; Celery, Lettuce (Butterhead), Cauliflower and Spinach (Swiss Chard); Watermelon, Radish, Peas and Lettuce (Great Lakes); Zucchini (Baby Marrow), more Peas, Cherry Tomatoes and Butternut; Cucumber, Egg Fruit and Broad Beans. I still had two pots left, so I sowed Bush Beans (Star 2000) and more Peas into the one pot. I also have seeds for Leeks - but I have no safe place to put the pot, since Leeks are poison to cats. The Chives are on the flower stand, top shelf - mippies don't go near that - but next to that is the palm, and I can't think where else to put that, either. I'm trying to decide what I should sow in that last pot now ...

Peas and Tomatoes! Why so many peas? Well, I like peas and at least I know they will grow, and I also have several packs of pea seeds. The same goes for Tomatoes.

And don't worry, Rose! It's still a wonder garden, because now I'll be wondering what will actually grow!

It's now quarter past one and I've finished everything I had planned to achieve in the garden! I've just cleaned around the front door and table again, since some soil got spilled there - and everything looks just lovely! I'm now wondering what I should do, ha ha!

Not that there's nothing to do! Indoors alone is still not really a home, the lounge is still more boxes than floor space and I also haven't quite arranged the kitchen, yet. There's still pantry stuff in some boxes - mostly tea, flour and such. But I don't really want to be indoors ...

Outside, there's also still work to be done. Lots and lots of work! I've now sprayed all my pots so the seeds can start germinating ... although, what I should really do, is to set up a spreadsheet with all the seeds I've sown today, and start finding out which will need deeper pots and which will need something to climb on, so that when they start sprouting in a week or two, and I know WHICH will grow, that I can start looking for suitable homes for them.

Spreadsheets are fun! Ha Ha! For me, at least! Also, anything which doesn't grow, I can find out possible reasons - maybe it's because I didn't pay attention to the seasons, etc.

Sigh, Lady Jane is stretched on the floor next to me mipping and mipping and mipping. I've picked her up, I've cuddled, I've cleaned the box (she's still very particular) and now I'm not paying attention to her - hence the mipping. I hadn't seen Mewthos in ages, though and wondered where he had got to ... I found him under the sink! My 'white' towel is quite brown by now, ha ha!

I've started the spreadsheet, he he he, when my landlord knocked to come and fit the mesh. It is absolutely wonderful! With the bedroom and kitchen windows open, there's a lovely breeze going right through! I'm loving this! I just hope that I can keep this going, as there is the slight chance that mippies might be able to stick their heads out through some gaps ... I'll have to see how it goes, how they react / behave tonight and tomorrow.

I've been playing with the spreadsheet, looking up best pot sizes and how the different plants, I've sowed, grow best - and I think I may need to build something for the creepers and climbers! Apparently cucumbers grow best on a trellis, where they can spread on top, like grapes. Tomatoes need to be tied to something strong, eggplants need to be staked, and beans and peas both creep and climb.

I have some time to come up with something, though. First, let's see what will actually grow. After all, why build a structure for cucumbers, if they don't even sprout? And then, they'll be fine in the little pots for a while. They'll only need replanting when they've grown, not right away.

I had to stop watering several times to pick up Mewthos. For some reason he was in desperate need of cuddles and couldn't wait! He nearly reaches my waist with his paws, when he stands up, now! And as soon as Ziva saw there's cuddles going on, she also came rushing and mipping for roly-poly scratchings!

Ziva had gone for a walk-about when Mewthos started whining for munchies, eventually I gave in and called Ziva - who came bounding home at top speed! Lady Jane has already investigated the mesh over the windows, looking for a way out ... Sigh.

Well, tomorrow I'll have to pay some attention to the indoors of my home again, like laundry and dishes and food for next week. But for now, I'll enjoy sleeping in the fresh air!