Potato Phun

Once upon a time there was a potato.....just kidding I was trying to come up with a witty title for my post this week and Googled Potato puns.   There was too much to include here but if you bored it's worth a few minutes or hours, funny jokes stories etc.  

Back to the point of my post...POTATOES!!!!  It's easy to get excited because they are the only things that I have in the ground so far but above is a picture of my potato plants.  I discovered these lovies when I came home from a particular stressful day at work this week. I was on the phone with a co-worker decompressing or complaining however you want to look at it and when I pulled up at the house I noticed the hint of green from the far corner of the garden. I ran through the mud pile that is the garden to have a closer look.  Keep in mind I am still on the phone but instead of talking to my co-worker I am ranting about potatoes in the garden.  She of course now has proof that I am crazy, hoping she doesn't use it against me.   It is amazing how much joy can be found in small green leaves.  All the other issues of the day disappeared as I tracked mud into the house to find the camera so I could document the event.   

The plan from here is to get the garden tilled this weekend (Thanks Dad!) Hopefully put some some sort of fence up to keep the critters out and plant the carrots so that maybe I can harvest them before the ground freezes this fall! If time/weather allows I may even plant some other things too.

So it goes

Not much to report this week specifically to the garden. In a holding pattern for the Rototiller and to ensure we are really done with winter aka frost.  I do have some pics of the seedlings...

Cauliflower 

I hope that the UVA bag in the background will not deter any of my VA Tech readers,  it is a long story for another time.

They're GIANTS!

I had the opportunity to have a wonderful meal with friends on Saturday that culminated in fireside chats (my favorite!).  The reason I bring this up is that our conversation reminded me of another reason that I want this gardening project to be successful and that is my desire to eat things that are not only healthy for my body but also grown locally.  The inspiration for our conversation (that is my private women's college education being put to good use there) came from a couple of sources.  For me was a book that I just started called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle  and for my friends it was a couple of movies Forks over Knives and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and the diets that go along with it.  I mention this not as pointless plugs but so that anyone who is reading this can see some of the motivation behind this project.

I also forgot to mention that mother nature has done a number on me too.  I suffered endlessly from allergies as a child: doctors, shots the whole nine.  As an adult I have been able to treat with over the counters meds without much incident until now.  I'm sure it's the lack of rain and the pollen tumbleweeds.  Anyone who has not experienced this thinks I jest. (see below)  I have been cutting the grass with a mask (sorry no pictures, I am still single) and still feel like I've been hit with a truck.  Hopefully today's rain will get things under control.    The goal is for next weeks post to include some more planting!!

It looked a lot more threatening before being soaked by the rain.

Potato Party

Saturday with the help of two lovely ladies I actually planted something.  It was not casual nor was it easy but there are potatoes in the ground.  After all the time, effort and money invested in the bamboo removal guess what we had to do before we could plant.  yep you got it, dig up more bamboo.  I hope this picture captures the epic battle...

After 45 minutes or so of digging out bamboo roots an hurling rocks, the potatoes went into the ground.  For those of you who don't know (I certainly didn't) when you want to grow potatoes, you just put potatoes in the ground.  Amazing huh?

The planting for the day was also to include Kaleidoscope Carrots from our friends at Burpee but because mother nature decided she would make an attempt at spring with overnight freeze warnings decided to delay a little longer.  

Also because of this weather update and the need to till the garden before planting any seeds my assistants and I transplanted the eggplant and green peppers to make room in the seed starter the cauliflower. 

I hope they survive!

I knew going into this that I was going to encounter some nature, that's the point right?  Little did I know it would not be in the garden but up on the patio while letting the dog out.  Now, I did find him dead on the ground and moved him (with gloves on of course) for the full effect of the photo.  

I didn't want to end there for those of you that are now deeply disturbed and will comment and email me about the nightmares I have caused so here is a highlight.

Friday after work I stopped at the grocery store on the way home for my typical frozen pizza and adult beverages to celebrate the week's end.  It seems that New Belgium Brewing and I are on the same page.

Dad saves the day

Today was a planned workday. Dad and I both took the day off to work on some projects in the yard.   I was not planning to spend the day digging in the mud and hauling around bamboo roots but that's what happened.  Dad kept our spirits up and the rakes moving.  Right about the time I thought I couldn't lift the rake one more time Robert from The Outdoor Company showed up and finished moving the roots and the dirt around.  

Although it was long and hard the results are worth it.

It looks like a Garden!!!

For anyone is interested and mother nature is compliant, there will be a workday on Saturday the Facebook page will be updated with our activities. 

I WILL beat this bamboo....

I was hoping that today's post would be filed with schedules and plans and big wins over the bamboo.  Not so much.  The landscaping company came today and made an attempt to remove the roots left in the space where the garden should be.  Instead this is what I am left with.....

Please don't misunderstand me, I know they are doing the best they can with what they have to work with but again we are at an impasse.  It looks like instead of the removal off all the roots for one low easy price, there will be more elbow grease exerted.  Good thing Dad and I took the day off tomorrow.

Now that all the bad news has been reported I have updates on the lettuce :)

The other thing to celebrate is the rosemary from Monticello survived the winter (if you can call it a winter). 

It's neat to think that this plant came from the same plants that Thomas Jefferson grew at his home.