Weeding is fucking wonderful

Today I watered the garden in the morning and then Tim, Melissa, and I did some weeding, and then Tim watered the garden again around 6pm. The pepper plants are still a little sad, but hey, they are still there for the most part. Tomorrow I will water (Donovan, can I use yours and Amy's sprinkler) and then Melissa will water on Wednesday and Thursday before she goes to Pittsburgh on Friday.

Row upon Row

So planbreaker and I went out to weed today. She and dfinn had done some already, and now things are looking fine. We have some great lettuce, quite a few cucumbers, some kale, chard and beets, edamame, and peas. The beet/chard/kale rows are a bit sparse in parts, but we may still see some new sprouts. There is a lot of VERY tiny kale. I think that we decided that it wins cutest baby plant. The row along the edge, with the okra and onions is a mystery. There is one small bunch of onions, but as for okra, who knows. I don't have any idea what it looks like, so we didn't weed that row. The area that Jenny and I planted has some sprouts of both squash and beans. The tomatoes that are still around look OK, but most of the peppers have been lost. Over the next few days, I would suggest that we need to do the following:

• Weed the okra/onion row
• Transplant new tomatoes, herbs and peppers
• Weed the beans and squash
• Water daily

I will be out of town tomorrow (Friday) but I will be back Saturday and around for the next few weeks.

Even More Water

How funny to see that last post. I also went out to water on Sunday afternoon. I don't think that the weeds are terrible yet, but we should get them soon. The tomatoes, peppers and herbs have all suffered in the bizarre weather. Looks like we might need to replace some. Th first plot is looking good, though. Several rows of baby plats are coming up. i recognized lots of greens and some onions. df will be watering today, and I will go again tomorrow. I will be available to plant/weed/water again next Tuesday, by which point I expect the Champaing climate to have completely changed character 3-4 more times.

Water and Weeds

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have many plants that are looking kind of sad. I went out to water today (Sunday) and there are at least seven or eight plants that look pretty bad--yellow, wilted, collapsed. My guess is that they weren't able to survive the heavy winds this weekend. I noticed that the other--more saavy--gardeners have constructed things to protect their baby plants. So, what to do? My guess is that most of them will still survive--and certainly we have a few plants to spare. But, I'm going to go out tomorrow or Tuesday to try to do some repair work. Any one else interested?

Friday

I went out and watered today...so I know it will rain now. It had been so long since we had any precipitation that I just didn't wanna risk it anymore. Every day: chance of rain, but no rain. Most of the tomatoes, peppers and such look good...we may have a couple losses once all is said and done, but should be pretty good. Some lettuce or greens are starting to sprout, but I didn't have the map with me, so not quite sure what it was. Not much other action. Hopefull some rain today follwed by a couple sunny days, will be good.

Watering schedule?

I'll be gone from tomorrow the 11th to May 20th. After that I will be here pretty much all summer and can water the garden any day of the week. How do you all feel about making a watering schedule? I won't have any email access for the next week, but when I get back, I am down to do whatever you decide.

Progress!

Finally, despite a frigid May 1st wind that made it feel more like late October, we actually got out and muddied our shoes. Tfoster wins the best dressed award for farm-themed gear. From the parking lot I thought, "Who's that old farmer dude talking to Hungrygirl?" Turns out it wasn't an old dude at all...anyway, here are some pics to prove we actually made a dent.


Tilling by hand. Gas power is for wimps.


The first casualty.


A little progress.


And a little more. (Keep in mind that we can't feel our fingertips at this point)


And at long last, we get some seeds in the ground.

Post-Plan Plans

What is the next agenda item and when do we want to implement it? I am free this weekend to help, this time with a warm jacket and gloves. Also promise to build up some muscles and stamina before then.

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.