Monday, May 08, 2006

A WEED GROWS IN QUEENS, PART II

In full expectation of another round of derision and questioning of my manhood, I return with the weekly gardening report.

No fruit yet on the tomato and pepper plants, but our herbs & vegetables are doing quite well. Red lettuce and bok choy are getting pretty big, and we ate some ealier in the week. It was a little more bitter than what you'd buy at the store, but not in a bad way. More full-flavored. More taste. We also planted some arugula seeds last weekend, and they're up & sprouting. I can't imagine how cool it'll feel to eat something that we grew from a seed.

My wife has already used our own cilantro & basil in her cooking, and we had mint tea one night. Yes, just a bunch of mint leaves and hot water. Not really my cup of tea (groan), but alright. She was psyched.

Other than that, nothing to report yet. The annuals are doing fine, but the long, hot days of summer really test you in that regard. April & May are the easy time. Another update next week.

2 Comments:

Blogger Weaseldog said...

Robert Heinlein - "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

I think plant a garden should be in there. He probably thought it was too obvious.

Excellent Start Mike! Did you save those 2 and 4 inch pots? Those come in handy when it's time to start stuff from seed later on.

And if you start stuff indoors, aim a recirculating fan at the seedlings. It forces them to stiffen and become strong. Otherwise they grow tall and lanky, then fall over. Like that stuff you probably tried to grow in your closet once.

3:00 PM  
Blogger Mike said...

Believe it or not, among the various nefarious deeds in my life, that wasn't one. Not that I'd have had moral objections or anything.

I'll talk to the vegetable woman about the saving the pots thing. Ironically, I tend to the flowers, she to the veggies most of the time. And the part about the fan makes a lot of sense. I read once, in the form of a parable actually, about how trees and plants need to be tested periodically by strong winds and such, so they can actually handle a storm when it happens.

3:27 PM  

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