Confessions Of A Master Gardener

Have you ever heard about the shoemaker whose kids never had shoes? Or, the seamstress whose kids went in rags? Well, that can apply to anything--including gardening! We had a cat that adopted us last summer (we have three other cats). This cat would bite and scratch me if he didn't like the cat food choice I gave him (top-of-the-line, expensive stuff), or if I didn't give him the continuous attention he though he deserved. And, he didn't want any other cats around, especially ours. So, I didn't go out into my yard for several months, because this cat was always there. Last fall as it was cooling off from our high summer heat, everything in the yard exploded with growth. Now, the cat has gone to another home and I am faced with getting my yard back in shape. Oh, the embarrassment! I will take pictures as I go to show my improvement. I plan to be done by the end of January, before some of the plants start their new growth. The weeds (except in the vegetable boxes!) have gotten ahead of me.

The best laid plans won't get the work done, so I will get to it starting today! My husband brought me 5 bales of straw last Saturday, which will help with smothering some of the weeds. Then as I prune and shred, I will replace the straw with the shredded mulch--at least in the front yard where the mulch will look nicer.

I will also be starting new veggies for my early spring garden that will be planted mid-February. I will start the cool-weather things like spinach, lettuce, chard, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. I will give outdoor seed sowing a try--for more information about this, go to Winter Sown. If you are interested in giving this a try, be sure to read the "how-to" (it's really easy!), and then scroll down to the pictures link. Starting seeds this way eliminates having to buy grow-lights, and all of the fussing that goes with starting seeds indoors. This way, the seeds come up when the temperature is righ, and uses the sun for light; you get to choose what varieties you want instead of choosing from what is at the store; and, these plants are already hardened off, so they will go from container, to small pots, and then into the garden--all outdoors!

[Picture from Winter Sown, by Mary in Georgia].