Author Archives: Ann

Hmmm . . . did we start seeds too early?

I don’t remember having this problem in other years.  (Should have kept better records . . .)

Seems to me we always started in late January, in the greenhouse. That’s what we did this year. And the more we planted from seed, the more that grew . . . Did we plant too much? Too many tomatoes, that’s for sure. Maybe give some seedlings away, especially those that are obviously groaning under the weight of their crowded roots. We can’t sell them, because we got mixed up this year, in naming trays of seedlings. Which kind of tomatoes are in this tray? Or that one? It’s anybody’s guess.

This is the first year we haven’t had a person directing the entire operation. Rebecca was here for ten years, and then Daniel last year. This year we’re on our own.

And I confess: the original mix-up in naming was mine. I was so involved in planting little seeds that I forgot which tray was which! 

We’ve decided that this is to be a year for experimentation. I’m sure there will be lots of other gaffes, as we transition into a truly group process, where everybody involved is taking responsibility for the whole. 

But it’s rough, getting started. For example, I want to watch a video called ElectroCulture Gardening. But have yet to take the time to do it. Will it be worth recommending to the group? I don’t know yet.

Okay back to what we’re doing here. Gaffes #1 (too many plants) and #2 (too many without names). Re: #2: it wasn’t just me; we have several trays we call “mystery trays,” because who knows what’s coming up there?

Okay, in order to tell the following tale, of gaffe #3,  want to do it in pictures. And to do so, I want to experiment with something I should have learned a long time ago, making collages out of photos. Camden pointed me to canva.com, a free site, that does this. So today was my first attempt. And what will take me, likely, ten minutes, once I get the hang of it, took over two hours . . . Oh well! My first stab at canva.com. Here goes.

TOO MANY SEEDLINGS!

And some of them, especially tomatoes, need to get out now! And kale will do fine in the ground, and we’re planting other greens, plus yesterday, we seeded a giant hugelculture bed that no has deep soil with root vegetables: carrots, beets, parsnips. We’d already put in some potato slips, about a month ago. 

Official planting time in south central Indiana: Mother’s Day, or May 15th. We’re way too early on some of them, though root seeds go in 4-6 weeks prior to the last frost, so we’re okay there. And I doubt the baby kale will be hurt. 

PLANT SOME OF THE SEEDLINGS!

But then, of course, the weather turned from wonderfully warm to cold, damn cold. And so shrouds were in order.  Six beds planted so far, and we’ve covered all of them — last night through tomorrow.

I’m very grateful to finally get going on a more creative use of photos. But it will take me awhile to get up to speed. 

 

 

April 4, and it actually feels like spring!

Four of us gathered this morning in the greenhouse. It was a regular Tuesday 10-12 work party, but first we had to decide what to do.

There wasn’t anything pressing in the greenhouse, which made us glad since on a day like today, with birds and breezes caressing our ears and skin, how could we lose?! 

It’s April now, so time to plant flowers. Hydrangeas, allium, dahlia, gladioli, and even jumbo elephant ears (which we used to have in the patio garden, but Rebecca took the bulbs when she left, after ten years, for the west coast. That was almost exactly two years ago, so it’s about time the big beautiful fronds sprung up again!

The elephant ears, gladioli and dahlia we planted in the patio gardens, and at least some of them should be up to wave at us during our Community Dinners in late July or August.

The allium we planted in one of the front gardens, also the two soon to be glorious hydrangea bushes.

We also bought two new blueberry bushes, and planted them in one of the back vegetable gardens. Confession: Annie (a former resident, and good friend) had planted I think it was five blueberry bushes along the outside of the property last spring. And . . . nobody took care of them. This morning, before planting the two new ones, I went to check on the ones outside, and prune them. And guess what? Three are still alive! Okay. So much more care this year. But: that’s why we planted the new ones closer at hand. Much more likely to just naturally care for them. 

Which reminds me: one of the valuable permaculture concepts is that of “zones.” And our neglect of the first blueberry bushes illustrates just why that notion is of value.

Zones

Some of the beans in the greenhouse were so eager to climb that Joseph and Marita wired up a little place for them to do so in the smaller greenhouse, here. (They look rough now; because just repotted.)

And, we decided to experiment with putting the other climbing beans outside against a fence that will also harbor other climbing things, like glorious moon flowers, and some kind of squash (unless we decide it’s not worth it, given the resident squirrel which ate them all when we planted squash there two years ago). Here’s Marita planting the eager bean babies, a big early, we know. So we’ll see if they make it.

Finally, here’s yours truly, planting . . . what was it, ah yes, gladioli!

Hands in the soil. Verrrry satisfying. 

P.S. I’m amazed that I used to plant only annual flowers. Now I plant only perennial flowers. So much fun to see what comes up next year!

 

 

 

Late March 2023: Board Games and Growing Pains

For the last several years, various people who have lived or do now live in the third GAPV house, have sponsored “game nights.” I would hear the buzz about these evenings, both before and after each one, but didn’t pay much attention, just stuck with my own personal routine.

After some months off, it happened again, Game Night. This time, when invited to at least show up for a snack and a glass of wine, I did, shocking myself more than anyone. And of course, was invited to stay. But though actually tempted, I demurred; and after about 20 minutes of listening to Sam and Camden (both at bottom right) explaining to the others how it worked, I took two photos, one of the players learning how to play the game (it’s a bit complicated), and another of the cover of the game. Then I, a creature of habit, went home. 

That was Friday evening. Then, yesterday, Saturday morning, Marita texted me, saying that they stayed up so late the night before that could we start our regular Saturday work party at 11 AM rather than 10 AM.

“Sure.”

So, at about that hour, three of us gathered in the greenhouse.

Joseph, who had come late to the game, was already out in the gardens working his designer magic.

For example, here’s how the front of the second house looks now, (still basically the “dead of winter”), with our mother elderberry bush between two trails up.

Very different than the tangled mass of yesteryear! He has little altars there, and invites birds and squirrels to visit.

 

 

 

 

That’s the street vieww. Here’s the side view. Notice how the goji berry bushes are just now greening . . .

 

Okay. Back to the greenhouse. While we worked to pot up some little fellers . . .

. . . Camden and Marita told me  what happened the night before. They had stayed up until 12:30 AM, with the last hour spent in wild improv! But before that they had played 7 Wonders the whole time (I left around 8:30; so three hours?)

Learning the game took awhile, but once they all got the hang of it, it was lots of fun; both of them mentioned how much of a surprise it was to find out who actually “won,” since you can’t tell while the game is on; there are just so many ways to gather points, and not all of them public.

I was intrigued. Decided to look it up online. 

Oh wow!

Introduced in 2010 by French game designer Antoine Bauza, 7 Wonders is the most award-winning board game ever . . .!

I told them I would join them next Game Night. 

But might we, please, start earlier, say at 7 PM?