Stella's Yard; A micro-farm in San Margharita (Pt 1)
Prologue:
... uh.... Matt... farming??? really???
Over the next few weeks or so (or perhaps days... it depends on how inspired I get), I will be posting a sort of ongoing journal on my now 3 season journey into gardening... If you’ve been reading here since I started (or have been talking to me), you’ll know that this has been one of my ongoing hobbies; one of many ways that I spend my free time (and vent some frustrations)...
For the longest time, I’ve wanted to write down my progress; from taking a single, straggly little Catnip plant haphazardly growing outside of the southeast corner of my Florida room, to a relatively organized and ever-expanding honest-to-god garden, more than capable of keeping both my herb/spice rack AND my vegetable crisper fully stocked...
As with all things, I started small, with just a few herbs and flowers...when I saw that I could do it,... well... things just got carried away! As it stands right now, I’ve torn up about 1/5th of my backyard in the name of my garden.... I honestly don’t think I’ll conquer any more of it (Jen had made me promise not to end up using the WHOLE backyard.... besides, Stella would be pissed!), every season I find myself pondering new ways to use the space that I’ve created.
*****
Why am I doing this? As method actor would say, “What’s my motivation?!?!”...
A few things come to mind...First of all, there’s the old hippie-dippy cliche of the benefit of putting your hands in the earth and letting her work for you... What’s the saying?..
“When you work for Mother Nature, you get paid by Father Time?”
... I kinda’ like that idea! I wish I could say that one of the main reasons was that I want to be more... what’s the word... Green???... Eco-friendly?... yeah, sure, that’s a good reason, sure enough, but really I think I wanted to be able to say that I could actually take a cookie-cutter, suburban plot of land in a very ordinary subdivision and produce crops, much in the vein of my grandmothers during WWII (you know; Victory Gardens). That was the only time, I think, in the 20th century that most Americans (not just the farmers/rural folk) really had a grasp on what it means to “eat locally.”
I read somewhere that the practice of growing lawns (as we know them) arose from the English aristocracy. From my understanding, it was kind of a status thing; to show that the owner was so wealthy that he could grow a crop that had only recreational value (rather than providing sustenance). I don’t know how true that is, but that idea always kind of stuck with me....
Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t look down on anyone who takes pride in their lawn... I keep mine in pretty good condition... There have just been times that I have thought (in my wackier moments) about tearing up my front yard and raising up some... I dunno... corn or something... Oh yeah... the neighbors would LOVE that!!!... heh, heh....
I guess though, most importantly, is that I really like doing it... And I live in a great area for it... As my uncle Tom said, “Ohio soil will grow just about anything...”.... and it gives me an excuse to go out and play in the dirt!... I guess that right there is reason enough.... I am a boy, after all!!
:-)
so, if you’re interested, in coming posts I will delve into the history of my garden, how it has progressed, what I’ve grown, successes, failures, techniques, etc... I want to do this not so much for you guys (readers), but more as for a log for myself... Of course, if you all have any suggestions, tips, tricks or ideas, please don’t hesitate to let me know... or if you’re looking to start a garden of your own and need some help or advice, just ask! Maybe I know the answer!
‘till next time,
cheers!
-m
posted by sydmatt @ 2:36 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Yeah, I totally want some help/advice. I've got a rather good-sized flowerbed out in the front of my house, which was honestly almost a deal-breaker for me moving into this place. I don't garden at all. I certainly don't have a green thumb - more like a 'dead thumb' if you go by my attempts in the past.
So anytime ya wanna help me get started, I'm up for it. Layne still needs his guitar lessons, too. :-) Talk to you soon. Give my love to Jen as well!
~Marie
you've got it girl!!!....
here's what you need to think about until say... mid March...
1.) what do I want to plant?... Florals are always good, but also think about if you want your garden to be a.), something beautiful to look at
or b.), something you can use in the kitchen and/or medicine cabinet... There is some crossover here... Artimisias, dills, lavender, chamomille, mints, etc, are both beautiful <and useful... whereas tomato, cucumber, etc., aren't particularly attractive...
2.)How much time can I give them?... Are you looking for something that you can pretty much sow some seeds and forget about, or are you willing to commit to giving your new little guys some TLC... Usually, a couple hours a week is all you'll need to keep even the most finicky plants happy, but again.. I know how busy you are...
3.) in the next few months, see how much sunlight your bed gets... High-light plants require about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight in order to thrive... mediums, about 2-6, lows; 0-2... Your front yard seems to face south, so you might be in really good shape for some veggies (they usually need full sun)... having said that, there's a plant for every light situation... also look at trees. shrubs, etc. that might block sunlight when their leaves come out...
4.) don't disregard ornamental grass, low-lying ground cover (i.e. Crimson clover, succulents) or even things like strawberries ... or a mix of all of these things... Look at a few plant books and figure out what you like... leaf shapes, colours, textures, smells... seriously, man... Plants are a limitlesspalate of these things... only your imagination can hold you back...
as for the guitar lessons... I'm sorry I haven't been more aggressive in getting things scheduled w/Layne... I swear to god, I'll be there whenever you guys are ready... If you can, come up with a good, steady time every week where he will be available and/or ready to learn... You too... What I want to do, if it's okay, is to teach you right along side him... That way, you can keep him on track and disciplined... I dunno... we can try a few things and adapt approaches as things progress... I can certainly lend you a guitar if you want (i.e. just come on over and choose your weapon!)...
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