Planting Before the Rain

After supper tonight, Nolan and I ventured outside to plant some potatoes in the condo and some carrots in the trough. We're looking at a few days of rain ahead of us so I wanted to get out there before it starts.

I picked up a few purple seed potatoes at the Co-op a couple of weeks ago. I'd never seen them before - having always stuck to boring ole Yukon Gold - but thought we'd give them a try. I was told at the counter that they're good potatoes, just don't mash them because they'll turn grey and kids won't eat them then. Note taken. I'm thinking a blue potato salad might look kind of neat. A little early to be thinking about that, I suppose.

Back to the condo. We shoveled some soil into the condo and Nolan carefully placed the potatoes. He's very particular, you know. Then, more dirt on top and, Bob's your uncle...






Next, we piled the dirt into the carrot trough and planted it about three-quarters full of The Cottage Gardener's Colourful Carrot Mix. The rest of this trough and the new one that Paul built earlier this year will hold Little Finger Carrots. We'll save that for another day.

The Seeds are Sown

Dorito came by yesterday so I was forced to entertain her. We went into town for breakfast and then dropped by the indoor Farmer's Market. I picked up some eggs and maple syrup (and some maple candy but don't tell anyone) and then we headed up the highway towards Omemee to visit brother Enos. It was about noon, then, and there was evidence to suggest that we got him out of bed. And he mentioned that it took him awhile to answer the door because he couldn't find his pants. Turns out he had been out to the Puck and Pint again and didn't get home 'til 4. The life of a bachelor.

After a brief visit, we headed back home and I dug out my seeds. Dorito wasn't getting out of here without helping with some planting. So, shovel and hoe in hand, we went out back. She turned a row of soil, I broke it up and, with Nolan's help, we put it the first lettuce, peas and radishes. Not too many just yet. The garden still needs to be tilled but a few to get us started. With any luck, we'll have some radishes on our plates in no time.

A day earlier, I arrived home from work and had to park on the driveway. The garage had been a hive of activity as Cameron (PA day), Nolan (no daycare) and Paul (2-week layoff) had built me a potato condo and a second carrot trough. And it was nice to have finally found something positive in the auto sector's downturn and all these layoffs.

I used a raised bed last year for my carrots and it made all the difference in the world on this clay soil so I wanted to add another and grow a bunch more - excuse the pun. The potato condo will be an experiment. There's been lots of talk about them on several blogs and I've read that it's possible to get 100lbs of potatoes out of a 4 x 4 box. I'm not too convinced about that kind of quantity, but if we could even get half that, I'd be a pretty happy camper. So, this year we give it a try and then decide if we add a few more condos over the next couple of years. It would be nice to open up more of the garden for other veggies and still harvest a good size crop of spuds.

My tomatoes are looking good - yes, they're still alive and not three feet tall! - and the leeks have emerged in their pots. Now I see why people pull them thinking they're grass or weeds. And have you noticed the trees around you? There's buds on some of them and the willows are already covered in a beautiful pea-green coat. The earth has come back to life yet again.