As I was evaluating my container garden this year, I couldn’t help but snap a photo of my early strawberries. These are the very same strawberries I almost tossed in the compost pile (thanks Crystal and her SIL for talking me down).
There was also another surprise. For seasoned gardeners, this isn’t a big deal but for me it is. I noticed one of the tomatoes that fell off the vine last year got buried in the dirt and has sprouted. From the looks of it, each seed in the tomato is growing.
That photo was taken in zoom mode. The actual size of the plant is about ¾ of an inch. I’ll wait until it grows a little before I thin them out. Hopefully, they’ll continue to grow.
Container Garden New Comer
This year I tossed a turnip into the mix. The only reason why I’m growing turnip greens is because a turnip stayed in my refrigerator’s crisper drawer a tad too long. It started growing roots and a few leaves. Instead of sticking it in the bokashi bin, I tossed it into the container garden. I’m really glad I did because now it’s growing a nice healthy batch of turnip greens. My mom used to cook those all the time.
I was so impressed with these green leaves that I went to my health store in an attempt to buy another turnip (preferably an old turnip), but unfortunately, there were none to be had.
This got me to thinking. Instead of tossing out my old potatoes, why not plant them? I’ve got nothing to lose and much to gain.
Venturing off the Deck
I’ve put on my big girl pants and have ventured off the deck. In front of my house is a strip of land that is hilly and filled with trees and weeds. My intention is to plant something that needs little care and can grow in a semi-shaded area.
My plant of choice is the very aggressive mint. Yes, I know, mint is extremely aggressive and I should be careful of where and how I plant it. Mint has a reputation for crowding out everything in its path. That’s just what I want.
At this point in my life, I’m tired of grass. In my opinion grass lawns are overrated. They are high maintenance and can’t stand up to dog urine. I gave up on chemical fertilizers a couple of years ago and have opted for organic alternatives.
If I convert the outskirts of my lawn to mint and the general area to clover, my lawn maintenance is significantly reduced. A low maintenance green lawn that can stand up to Fido’s urine sounds like a win-win to me.
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You got that right about the mint and other ground cover. If it were up to me (and it is) I don’t care if I have even a blade of grass (the more grass the more work). I have different kinds of ground cover in my backyard (here and there) and tons of weeds. Once the weeds get to be a foot tall I walk around with pull ’em up. I try to catch them at least by 6 inches so I can use my “Opie Taylor” lawn mower. I mower for 10 or 15 min. til my back hurts too bad and do some more later in the day.
I love turnips too….yum…with cornbread.
Take care,
Joni
Before you pull your weeds, you should determine what kind of weeds they are. I’ve discovered that many of my “weeds” are really edible plants. I’ve been going around the yard identifying each type of weed. I’m pretty impressed with our variety.
We gave up using chemical fertilizers two years ago and last year I started inoculating our lawn with bokashi tea. The way I look at it, our lawn will soon be our summertime grocery store. I’ve allocated a section of the lawn for planting new breeds of wild flowers. Instead of going to my health store to pick up herbs for my various homemade tea blends, I’ll be able to go to my yard. 🙂
Glad your strawberries are doing well, Felicia – and you’re welcome. As for the mint, sounds yummy! (Just be sure to wash it good before you make tea if indeed you are worried about dog urine!)