Confessions of a Novice Gardener

Hmmmm, confessions. Everything I blog on here is a confession I suppose! A glimpse into the fact that I truly have no clue about lots, dive right in, don't give second thoughts and go with whichever way the wind blows. Is that what my mother means when she says I am free spritied? Hmmm. Well, anywho, I wanted to share a few secrets about my novice gardening skills. Shhhh, and don't tell my husband ;)

So, we have a garden gardens and I have no clue! I just buy seeds and plants like a compulsive buyer because I think, how cool to pick that out of my backyard instead of BUY it at the store. It will be healthier for us this way AND taste better too.....and cost less ;) I think my husband has a compulsiveness in plant and seed buying too, but probably for other reasons unbeknownst to me!

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, we accomplished a lot of garden work over the weekend. My husband shocks me all the time in a good kind of way! He knows way more about this stuff than I ever thought. Really, he knows more about homesteading that I ever imagined! I do still surprise him sometimes though; for exmaple, on making Wild Violet Jelly! But lets be honest, I did not come up with the idea on my own; I found the recipe online. Anyways, for exmaple, I found a recipe on how to make your own butter from heavy whipping cream - cool right! The conversation went like this:

I say "Hon, I am going to try and make my own butter from heavy whipping cream"

Allen "oh yeah, how are you going to do that?"

Me "Well, there is a store that sells a churner thingy you could use, or you pour it into a jar with a lid and shake it up"

Allen "yeah I know, that is how we did it when I was younger. My mom and aunt would do it" ...and then he proceeds to explain the process

Me "Oh! Whatever!! How do you already know all this!!"

So as I also mentioned, over the weekend, he dug in another, second garden. He is just a freaking smarty pants. He knows how to till it up, compost it in and get that soil warm and ready for his plants! Pfffft! So, we started then planting some of our plants that we started from seeds in the winter, as well as some of the plants we purchased, last evening. Due to me, we are trying to do more of companion planting this year, which requires a little more knowledge and research on our my part. See, I am good for something!!

So as we are planting, I keep reminding Allen I still have bean seeds to get into the ground THAT NIGHT. I have lots of other seeds of other kinds of things too, but we'll play it by ear. That is what I do best, right? Allen is not thrilled at all the things I still need to plant because, between the now 2 gardens we have, he thinks he won't have room for his 50-some pepper and tomato plants. And these things are his babies. Rare & heirloom varieties we he started from seed.

So, after I get in three rows of bushing beans, what do I do with the still handful of seeds left over? *Gasp*...no seriously, you might gasp when I tell ya! I THREW them into a bush on the side of the property.....when Allen wasn't looking ;) hahahaha, I know, what the heck, right? Well look, I had no more room for another row of beans and if I asked Allen to dig me a third garden, he'd probably take the dogs and leave me. (Maybe he'd leave me WITH the dogs!?) He was all about them when I thought they were pole beans that would grow up a trellis he was about to make....and then I realized they were bush beans.......So...maybe later this year we'll have some volunteer bean bushes in the bushes!!