Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Remember my garden? Yeah, I just did, too.

Not that long ago I planted the fava beans, as is my now second year tradition, and right after that, I forgot that I had a garden for the most part.

I've been out there twice to pick tomatoes, but beyond that, the back garden has gone into its winter phase, which is to say that it's now Jada's spa (read: toilet) and home to the Apple Tree That Doesn't Grow.

So, imagine my excitement this morning when I went out to check on my kumquats to find that HEY! OVER HERE! the fava beans were all growing and shit.

We're all standing here at attention and everything, woman.

Thankfully I have automatic irrigation out there, otherwise who knows what shape they'd be in right now (dried, probably) and boy would I be sad that I actually went along with this moon phase nonsense in the first place just to let them fail because of my own negligence. And you know I'd be all blaming the moon phase or whatever.

Stupid moon phases make plants grow worse! I'd be saying, but whatever.

I wonder how many other theories I've tested poorly just to determine in my own pea brain that they're faulty when the faulty is ME? Eh. Hard to tell.

Anyway, the beans are alive, getting taller by the day, apparently, and making the Money Chicken nervous. He tends to get lost in the greenery every summer and now he'll get the same treatment in the fall and winter.

And why is he called the Money Chicken? No idea. That's what Bubba calls him and since he had that name before I started calling him, "Hey you fucking asshole, stop cutting my hands when I move you!", it has stuck.

We compromise, Bubba and I.

The Money Chicken looks on nervously.

And, in case you were interested in the progress of the kumquats, the original reason I dragged my lazy rear out to the garden in the first place, I can assure you that they're doing nothing and look the same as last time we did this.

I could have just posted the same photo as before, but I had already hauled the camera with me, so here you go: Kumquats, a still life.

I'll be impressed when they produce enough for me to eat in more than one sitting. This isn't even a challenge.


And since there's precious little fall color around here, so that I have to go stealing it from friends' Facebook updates (Hi Freiberg, Germany - your fall looks nice!), I was really sort of happy to see that the hard-won yarrow (I had to HUNT THIS SHIT DOWN - it was unreasonable) has grown in to the new landscaping nicely and is blooming with abandon.

I'm worth it.


And then we've always got the nasturtium. I never realized I'd like these flowers so much, but they bloom forever, are super sturdy in a vase and will take abuse like none other. Seriously, I ripped out this whole bed a few weeks ago and TEE DAH, the nasturtiums are blooming again.

Nice one, fellas.

And, to keep with the Forgot all about the garden! Whoops! theme, I got three packages in the mail that reminded me that I should stop opening emails from High Country Gardens and Burpee. So, you know, I now have to figure out when I'll be planting garlic sets, Siskiyou gaura and hey fun! almost 800 wildflower bulbs.

I'm sure I'll be back soon with an update on how my hamstrings won't allow me to move from a prone position.

4 comments:

  1. Look at you all making me forget you had a garden too. But then, why would I remember yours? I can never remember I have one too!
    Your Yarrow is very purty and the nastursiums too. I have lots of the nastursiums...they are hardy and don't need much remembering.

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  2. Hey, you might not have fall color, but at least you have flowers! And you're clairvoyant...I was reading along wondering why you call it the money chicken and viola! there's an answer!

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  3. Great plants, Finny! I love the industrious independence of the nasturtiums that seem to want to grow despite your purging effort. I've not heard of Siskiyou gaura before so that will be another fun thing to watch as you attempt this in your garden.

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  4. I'm no animal expert of 4H member, but that kind of looks like a rooster. And roosters freak me out because they are so ugly. I discriminate against ugly animals. I think this takes me down a notch in the "Is she a good person?" scale. Oh well.

    ReplyDelete

[2013 update: You can't comment as an anonymous person anymore. Too many douchebags were leaving bullshit SPAM comments and my inbox was getting flooded, but if you're here to comment in a real way like a real person, go to it.]

Look at you commenting, that's fun.

So, here's the thing with commenting, unless you have an email address associated with your own profile, your comment will still post, but I won't have an email address with which to reply to you personally.

Sucks, right?

Anyway, to remedy this, I usually come back to my posts and post replies in the comment field with you.

But, if you ever want to email me directly to talk about pumpkins or shoes or what it's like to spend a good part of your day Swiffering - shoot me an email to finnyknitsATgmailDOTcom.

Cheers.