Spring means muddy feet

One of my raised beds,

Note to self: Do not garden in sandals. You get worms between your toes.


For those of you in more northerly climes, I deeply apologize, but for us in the deserts of SoCal (PLEASE don't call it "Cali"...the true locals don't...), it's gardening time. With gasoline just below $4.00 per gallon, the price of food has skyrocketed. Tired of paying a king's ransom for cardboard produce, I have decided to take a few drastic measures.


Inspired by The Urban Homestead,  I have decided that their advice not to waste water and time on anything inedible is very wise in this day and age. Out went the "spider" or "airplane" plants and the geraniums. In went lettuces, peas, spinach, artichokes, and strawberries. The raised beds sport four kinds of tomatoes, two types of eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, three types of hot peppers, orange bell peppers, and basil. One horse trough has been planted with bush-type pickling cukes, and another is full of onion sets. Another old and holey horse trough has been turned into an impromptu compost bin. I'm praying that some of these things will grow, and their corpses won't end up in the composter. I'm also hoping that I don't let it go like two years ago. Who knew that Swiss Chard could get eight feet tall if it decided that it was an orphan?  


My semi-genetic urge to garden every spring isn't just cheapskate-ness. We don't eat enough veggies. Meat isn't a problem with our low-carb lifestyle, but vegetable matter is another issue. Most store-bought produce tastes like bitter water, and I'm sure that much of its nutritional value is depleted. I also would like to eat food that isn't a source of Hepatitis, and if I have to explain that one to you, you definitely don't live in California.


The Bionic Broad out.