The Plan

Do we have one? Did we use up all of our energy on the signs? Let's get those seeds in the ground! Come on, sun! Cooperate with us!

Procrastinating on a chilly Sunday

After Melissa cooked a wonderful french toast souffle, the painting cloaks were thrown on, stakes hardly worthy of Vampire slaying were lathered in old house paint and a photographer with a professional career in mind was snagged to document the day's events. (Melissa is working hard on school stuff, so I, Doug, am taking the liberty of posting the photos for her.)


The gangs (almost) all here. MIA: a sick Jenny.


Tim's handwriting leaves little to be desired.


Donovan's unique application technique gives this stake a beautiful tie-dyed effect. I'm sure the weeds will be appreciative.


Melissa can spell! And, in this particular instance, she left room for all the letters, too!


This impressionistic snap shot is titled: "Boys at Play, Or Two Blurry Bald Heads Are Better Than One."


Sophie says, "Yawn. Wake me when you're ready to go to the garden."


When Donovan isn't turning sticks into art deco masterpieces, he's busy playing refrigerator poet. (Uh, stick to the sticks.)

And that concludes our photo essay. (And no, I don't want to join your evil veggie clique.)

Return of the blog

The blog is back. The blog is back. Kudos to Melissa for realizing that "Republish entire blog" might prove a useful command in a case such as ours. The weather has recently reverted from late spring to late winter, and we all decided that it made much more sense to eschew planting and eat brunch and make signs for the as-yet-unplanted garden - the sort of decision making that got our pioneer forbears through the harsh prairie winters.

where is the blog?

When It Was Dirt

Before there were savory vegetables, luscious herbs, and delicately wrought row-markers, there were two lonely plots:






Under the watchful eye of the bird-for-hire, the dirt is being monitored 'round the clock, awaiting cultivation:



All winter long, the giant metal machine enriched the soil, and now it is ready:



Are the novice gardeners up for the challenge? Can they really transform dirt into gourmet vegetables? Is democratic, collective gardening a horrible, horrible mistake?

The plots thicken.

the weather may be conspiring against us

the forecast for sunday says high of 59 and low of 39...is 39 too low for our plants' first night out? i guess we should just keep an eye out and maybe make a plan B.

I am a nerd, but doesn't this photo look awesome and sinister - like we are refining high-grade plutonium instead of planting squash. I can almost see Colin Powell waving it angrily at some ineffective UN committee. 

Companion planting

For those who are interested, I looked up some info on companion planting. The best link that I found is to the right.

Next Weekend: Chapter 1 in the Great Garden Adventure

After a quick trip to check out our garden this week, the plan was made to load up on seeds and plants next weekend and commence to planting. The space looks huge, but when I look at the list of items we're thinking of growing, it fills up fast:

Eggplant, Tomatoes of all kinds, Yellow squash, Zuchinni, Lettuce, Mesclun mix, Leeks?, Beets, Green Beans, Chili Peppers, Bell peppers, Cucumbers - reg and pickling, Spinach, Arugla, Collard Greens, Chard, Chives, Scallions, Onions, Broccoli, Soybeans, Peas?, Rhubarb?, Brussel Sprouts?, Chayote Squash, Butternut Squash, Rosemary, Basil, Lemongrass, Fennel, Mint, Marigolds

Whew....

7374

The plot:
#7374 - 30 ft. by 40 ft. - A ragtag band of graduate students tries to turn seeds, soil and sweat into HEALTY LIVING.

The Cast:
Amy
Donovan
Jenny
Melissa
Tim

The Setting:
Parkland College and various kitchens in Champaign, Illinois.