When I first decided to start gardening again, I knew that I would have to keep track of what I was doing so that I could see what was working and what was not working. I also knew that I wanted to start this farm and that I needed to find out if I still had a green thumb or not. I have found that this type of record keeping really hasn't been a problem for me. I don't mind writing down what I have done or the products that I have used in my calender. What I have noticed though, is that I have a serious problem writing out a plan and then sticking to a schedule. I don't really know what is going on.
Maybe it has been too long since I have actually had a "real" job?
Maybe it has been too long since I have had to work under a timeline?
Maybe, just maybe, I have become one of those women that really bother me?
You know the ones.
They can't get anything done for themselves so they have to whine and complain all of the time.
This would be a development that I would really have to take issue with but let's move on for now.
Okay - so I have revealed this personal dilemma that I am having, and I need you to be clear on the part that is funny here. It is not like someone is bossing me around. I mean I have to work within the confines of the weather, and the November 15 frost date that is looming around the corner, but other than that, I am the one that writes the schedule. You would think that I could decide what I thought I needed to do, and then I could do it when I said it needed to be done. It is just baffling to me that if something is on the calendar for Tuesday, I will do everything I can to insure that it is absolutely impossible to get it done on Tuesday. I may come up with 50 other things that are more important to do, or I may stall and drag my feet until the last possible second and then there is no humanly possible way to make it happen.
I can not seem to help myself. I have to rebel against time. I have given my calendar some sort of powerful authority over myself and now I have developed a real Love/Hate relationship for it. If I were to be really honest, I would have to admit that I have always had a struggle with authority in some form or fashion, but this is kind of ridiculous
This bed is a perfect example.
I had to remove all the vegetation that was left over from the summer garden. Then I added a truck load of composted manure to the area that I had expanded into, and tilled that in. Then I added GreenSense organic fertilizer, dried molasses, gypsum, and greensand to the entire area and tilled again. This area has now doubled.
This is the bed with the old tomato, pepper, and okra plants that have now been removed. Note: This is Flower. She is considering taking a bite out of a pepper.
This bed has now been extended by eight feet and widened by a foot. I have added cotton burr compost, gypsum, more GreenSense organic fertilizer and dried molasses, and then I tilled and re-tilled this area at least three times, but it seemed like it must have been a hundred times.
For some reason this ground was exceptionally hard, and yes, I was wearing gloves. These are blisters under callouses, and while they really look rough, you have no idea what the rest of me felt like. Whew! This area was tough for some reason.
After all of this work and progress, something took control over me. I can't really say that I was on schedule at this point because I had some issues that came up regarding compost that I will explain in more detail later, but I was working. I was actually making progress, but there was this one area that just kept distracting me. It was horrible, and I couldn't get it out of my mind no matter how hard I tried. Just take a look at it for yourself. To call this an eyesore would be an understatement.
So, in the middle of all my progress in other areas, I couldn't take it any longer. Early Thursday evening I ripped out all of these shrubs, weeds, and grass. I had to add compost, organic fertilizer, dried molasses, gypsum and a few bags of topsoil to this area and then till it very quickly. I then replanted it and mulched with a cedar mulch. This is the result.
I now have this little Herb Garden right outside my kitchen. I have wanted to do this for a while, and I am very excited because I think this will help me cook with fresh herbs more, and that is something that definitely interests me. In this Herb Garden you will find Sweet Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Oregano, Sage and Rosemary. I have some Chives in another area that I can easily transplant here and it will be a great start for a culinary garden. There is only one thing...
Do you know what is missing?
Can you guess?
Thyme!
It seems that I am challenged in more than one way when in comes to time or thyme management. I have killed two varieties of Thyme this spring, and I was unsuccessful in starting any from seed.
No, I am not kidding.
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
Time and thyme again I have loved reading about all of your escapades in trying to create a wonderful, organic garden out of that old black tar that is called soil in Texas. Keep up the hard work.
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