SPAZ OUT: And get that hoe out of the garage. Before dad gets home.

Here's my gardening plan thus far - rip up a bunch of used tissues, scatter them in the wind, watch some 'Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory' and call it a day.

Not at all, really, though. Gardening has consumed me, and not in decent ways. For one, my plans have outsourced - my original, space-friendly "All by myself" idea of containers was nixed, and the original "Hey, could I use some of your land?" query has turned into "I hope you don't really like that tiny dogwood tree you planted as a memorial for our dead dog when I was eleven, because I've got crops to get in." No. The cardboard coffin and dogwood are staying. Probably. Yeah, no, totally, they're staying.

Yeah.

But now other family members are in on it, who are renting or have limited space and suddenly "I'd like to grow some cherry tomatoes" has turned into "Well, why has no one talked about chickens in a serious tone of voice yet?" Come to my farm, guys, except it isn't mine and it isn't legal and don't bring your children because I don't even think there are any band-aids in the house, on the land, that isn't mine.

This is what we all want, though, right? When obsessions become group efforts they are way less creepy. I can talk about the difference between organic seed and basil strains with someone at a normal volume, and not just sneak it in to the conversation like "That's great she's going to be making 45K right out the gate, at 23...I would just like to know your opinion on beets."

And not having spatial responsibility for it, means that we can really talk and send Craigslist ads back and forth, ask which chickens are the heaviest layers and WOW someone is getting rid of a few pygmy goats. I'm just checking it out. I'm just checking it out.

By the way, do you know how much compost is in a yard? I don't. Whatever. FIVE, delivered, for 95 dollars! Wow! Who needs anything but worm casings and seed packets to feel good about life. No one with my genetic makeup.

Some real progress has been made, though. Right now we're looking at three plots, and a few odd containers for overflow tomatoes and peppers, mostly. This doesn't count the flowers and plants, shrubbery, we're planting as a 'Thank You' for the land usage. But mostly, in-ground. I've been freak-out busy lately, with stuff having nothing to do with gardening, commitments and work and everything and there's a break, now, so I'm using gardening as a great distraction. Whatever, that part isn't interesting, let me just tell you what we've got percolating.

Plot one:
Beets
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Beans

Plot two:
Watermelon (Moon and Stars/Van Doren)
Pumpkin (Cinderella)

Plot three:
Tomatillos

Tomatoes
    - Black Plum
    - Marmande
    - Brandywine (Sudduth's Strain/Pink)
    - Green Zebra
    - Isis Candy
    - Roma
    - Hank

Pots:
Jalapenos
Herbs
    - Chives
    - Cilantro
    - Flatleaf Parsley
    - Basil
    - Oregano
Scallions/Bunching onions
Poblano/Ancho Chiles
Eggplant (A bush variety)

And that is just what we have so far, right now, March 1st. Who knows what could happen between now and late May, early June?

For flowers, I'm doing a bunch of pots of ranunculus', and I've ordered some different kinds of Poppies but who knows how those will do. Anemones, Peonies, the flowers I'm too cheap to buy are the ones I'd like to grow. Mostly I'm counting on excitement, and enough tomatoes to make some roasted tomato and green salsas. I've been saving egg cartons and toilet paper tubes and buying plastic SOLO cups, not for the ultimate mixed-media Beer Pong sculpture contest but for seed starting, I'm thinking about composting but probably not, I might just buy some, and just getting really excited about this. Let's garden, kids. If you are, tell me what you're planting or not planting.

Comments

[Bonddi]

I bought a Victory Garden heirloom seed pack last year for $99 for 100 packets of everything to plant in my 10 foot by 7 foot plot. My broccoli crop fit in a tablespoon, but the Swiss Chard plants are huge. What the heck do you do with it...any recipe suggestions out there?

[Elly]

Haha, that's awesome! I had gardening aspirations once - I managed not to kill some roses, but I did somehow turn them blue. *shrug* I figure they are not dead, so that counts. Also, Hurrah for Fantasy Factory! :)

[Elle]

This fall I began having really involved conversations about the best kind of potting soil for my houseplants. It was then that I realized it was probably time for me to move out of NYC and back to San Francisco- a more gardening-friendly city. So, as the economy has failed and the job search stretches on and on, my container garden full of succulents is blooming. (Who knew succulents bloom? Not I.)

[Stef]

My landlord would probably let me commandeer part of the backyard for gardening purposes, but I have seen the raccoon/stray cat population in my town, and it doesn't bode well for outdoor growables.

So we're erecting shelves to maximize the space in front of my large kitchen window. Planning some bush cucumbers, a lot of arugula, radishes, small carrots, cilantro/Thai basil/parsley, lemon balm/mint (as soon as I can find some non-"spearmint" seed ), coleus, and my existing plants (spider, pothos, dwarf pomegranate).

Now, it just has to turn eeeeever so slightly towards Spring, and I can get seedlings started! I'm extra excited about growing stuff this year.

[And I totally decided HECK YEAH! VERMICOMPOSTING! right after I was here the other day saying "eh, I probably won't." And now I gotta' find some wormies.]

[the projectivist]

i had green fingers when i lived in Englerrland. not so now it would seem.

out there i would try my hand at anything, lavender (the sweet bunny-eared variety. that is not a latin name, but it should be), jasmine, sweet peas, poppies, climbing roses - there wasn't nuthin' i couldn't grow in my pretty courtyard oasis.

out here the sun just about kills anything as soon as i even LOOK like i'm about to stick it into a bit of soil!