Lilac GreenStalk Vertical Planter: Set Up, Filled, Planted

 Before going to the FamilySearch Center this morning I put the wheels on the swirly base for the lilac-colored GreenStalk Vertical planter.  Of course I did not see the instructions, I just followed someone who showed what to do on YouTube.  Sadly that person did not mention staggering the locking wheels and i did not notice the difference so all three locking wheels are on one side.  Oh well.  It will probably be okay, right!?

 When I returned home from the FSC I mixed together the organic potting mix with some wonderful compost from BC Mulch and More.  While there I was instructed on how to get our lawn to look like a lawn instead of a back lot.  I hope to get started on that soonish.  Must speak to dear neighbor first.

After mixing the soil I filled the containers, placed the containers and their individual watering containers on top of each other then finally planted 2 Contender string beans in 12 holes and planted two zucchini plants and four yellow marigolds the latter six in the bottom layer.  I hope to plant some flowers or maybe some lettuce or more kale in the top layer.  Just not today.

After completing this job I picked the blueberries which really were ripe this time.  The two Brightwell plans produced best…and taste delicious.

Wax Beans Ready To Pick

 It is great that these beans are ready to eat.  Of course,  there are only about ten beans, but Dear One will be happy when I pick them and cook them!

Don't they look yummy!  They are growing in the GreenStalk Vertical Planter.  I just ordered a lilac colored planter to put some flower into.  I think.  The planter we already have has the string beans, basil, strawberries, kale, and volunteer marigolds growing. I will use the marigolds for wool dyeing since I loved the gentle yellow color last year.

The GreenStalk people have added Lemon Yellow and Blueberry color to their line-up of planters!!!

Growing Things On A Rainy Day!

 It has been more than a week since I have taken the time to write.  It has been a very busy time.  

Today is a lovely rainy day.  I just took this photo of the GreenStalk vertical garden on the back deck.  I love the lilac colored planter.  I suggested to Dear One that it might be a great spring gift but then I thought about the fact that I have not really used the produce from the last seasons so I guess I will see if I can make one GreenStalk successful then add a lilac one next year....

 

There we go, though I have absolutely no idea why there is no background.  I don't really mind since there is a lot of "stuff" on the deck, though the picture I actually thought I was going had a lovely view of the rain-wetted decking.  Oh, well.

Here is the GreenStalk with wax beans looking good; some basil really going to town. The strawberry plants on the top layer are doing well, too.

There are some tiny kale plants in the second layer but they are totally invisible here.  There are very sturdy marigolds that are volunteers from last year, too.  They look promising.  You can just barely see a few green leaves on the right side of the second layer.

When I went out to investigate the garden this afternoon I noticed that the deck railing planter where I had started a packet of kale seeds earlier had been devastated...probably by the squirrels that visit from time to time to see if they can pick up something just lying around for them to steal.  Those hummers.  Well, as Alissa says, "Squirrels need to eat, too."  Yes. they do.  I am so sorry they scarfed down the last of the kale seedlings, though.  I intended to transplant them shortly.

Today I have been wondering how to use the basil this year.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Strawberries Growing On The Deck...

 A couple of weeks ago when at Lowes I saw a rich-looking strawberry plant.  I grabbed it up, took it home and put it on the shelf in the kitchen.  For several days.  Eventually I planted it in the green garden tower whose name escapes me at the moment.  And left it for two days.  When I got back I noted that it was very very wimpy looking so I doused it in water. I had forgotten that you need to water things every day when their foundation is plastic.

The strawberry blossom had bitten the dust by the time I watered it and the three runners had been burned to a crisp. I apologized to the  dear little plant and watered it. And have watered it again and again.  Here she is:

This makes me much happier.  Since the strawberry farms are in full picking mode, I am hoping this little guy recovers enough that we can have one or two berries from our own deck.  If we play our cards right and the plant puts out runners....well, maybe more than one or two berries.

OH-- it is a GreenStalk garden tower....a vertical garden and it works great as long as we water and fertilize the water occasionally.  If you follow the link you will see they have pink towers and blue towers.  Boy, would I like one of each!  Don't you think they are beautiful?!!  I do.  Not a lot of room on our deck for more though.  At least not in Dear One's opinion...even though I removed the huge old plastic "tree" planters we used for tomatoes and zucchini last year.

What A Day!!

 Today started moderately early after a not-to-bad night.  First thing both Dear One and I sent text messages to our child who turned 50 YEARS OLD today!  Hard to believe, but true.  I remember that activity very well.  It was a very long day, ten extra people in the delivery room (after all, it was a teaching hospital...) and finally he was born about 9 :00 PM.  Forceps delivery.  Lots of stitches then around 11:30 PM the nurse came in where I was still being stitched up and said, "Your little boy is going to all right, after all."  After all?!!  What the heck?  I had no idea there was anything wrong with him.  As I recall they told me he had a a"retracted rib cage."  I did not know what it was then and I still don't know.  All I know is that "after all" he is just celebrating his fiftieth birthday.  I am very glad for that.  He was a wonderful oldest brother.

After scripture study and a tiny bit of knitting I went downstairs to see what I could do to improve the kitchen.  The last two days were so busy and no dishes got washed plus the bags that came into the house were just where they were dropped since there was nothing cold in them. So, I put on my headphones, started listening to the Saturday Afternoon session of October 2023 General Conference to keep me company while I worked, and set to work.

We have an "instant on" or "on demand" hot water situation in our house but it is on the other side of the garage.  To get hot water in the sink, I put a 2-gallon bucket in the sink so I could collect the water for the plants and turned on the faucet.  The first bucket got emptied into the Greenstalk garden tower on the back deck and I came back for more water since the hot water had not yet turned up.  One more bucket out to the Greenstalk and then the water was hot.

Washing, washing, washing and by the time my legs and back gave out, I had filled the counter with clean dishes.  This was into the fourth General Conference talk...!  I sat down in my very old blue platform rocker that Dear One purchased for me in West Lebanon, New Hampshire in the building that used to house J W Barber's store. I have long since forgotten what JW had in the store, but I do remember the name.

Picking up some knitting I kept listening to the Conference talks and was touched by every one of them.  Elder Ronald Rasband invited more couples to become Senior Missionaries.  His talk was lovely and took me back to our time in the Oregon Portland Mission in 2017-2019.  How we loved that service!

As I sat there knitting, Dear One came downstairs, saw me sitting in my chair, saw the counter full of clean dishes then, without saying a word, he started putting them away.  He next opened the dishwasher and put away all the clean dishes from there...the whole reason I was washing by hand was that the dishwasher was full and I was afraid I would deflect myself from the dirty dishes if I stopped there and put away the dishwasher dishes.  I know.  Dumb thinking, but...

When the dishes were all put away I had recouped a bit of energy and we went outside where we bagged up some brush and I took the small hand saw that Dear One had retrieved for me on Tuesday and I started pruning the live oak tree on the front lawn.  With the branches hanging down low it was hard for the lawnmower man (Dear One!) to mow without getting jabbed by the tree.

This is the tree now with no low-hanging branches.  I am rather pleased with that job.  I wish I had opened the garage door and gotten out my new heavy leather gloves which would have protected my hands somewhat.  Slivers were not fun.

While I was sawing off branches I saw something that gave me great joy:

Last fall I found a package of daffodil bulbs at the dollar store.  After a few weeks I finally put them into the mulch at the base of that live oak tree.  Will you look at this!!!  One of those daffodils survived.  I would love to see the sweet face on this plant sometime.

Later in the day Dear One noticed that it was Pi Day and that Marcos Pizza was having a sale with a medium pizza at $3.14 if you bought a large one.  Dear One is a pizza guy.  You had to order online or with their app.  I had the app but could not order through it.  I kept getting the happy note that my password was wrong.  After about ten tries I went online to order.  Same story. I told Dear One today was not his day for pizza.

He went out to mow some more of the lawn and when he came in the second time he said he would try his phone. (By this I knew that he really did want some pizza even though we had some perfectly good food in the refrigerator...) He was successful in ordering a large pizza and a medium pizza.  Of course,  it was not the Pi Day deal!  So annoying.  But he got his pizza.

Many other things happened on this day but now I am calling it quits and will probably be in bed way before my usual time.

The pitsy thing about the day is that I had put my watch on the charger before starting the dishes so many hours ago and never picked it up again until 5:00.  I did not "get credit" for all that moving I did today...so sad.  I really like those little pats on the head from my watch and the Health app.  Oh well.

Garden Today: Greenstalk Vertical Garden Progress

 Just before Mother's Day Dear One purchased a Greenstalk Vertical Garden at my direct request. I was thrilled.  I have a little trepidation about using the "raised beds" on the lawn between the house and the pond. Aquatic reptiles are unnerving to me. 

 I have heard them singing a little too often recently.

This is the Greenstalk that was put together about four days previously.  It shows the wax beans peeking through the soil.

This is after two weeks...

This third photo is today after not quite a month!  We have harvested basil and need to harvest kale. We  will soon.

Because this is a container garden, it needs watering every day.  And today I watered twice....

So far I can say that I love this gardening method.  We will see how it goes through the heat of the summer.