A Whole New Topic

Ga Ga Ga Ga, Gardening (LOL) :-)

(Baby Bell Peppers)

Right up my alley, I am a gardening attic as well as other manual type crafty attic which you are aware of; there are others I won't mention right now only so I can talk about my gardening. Well I seriously began gardening in I think it was the Summer of 2003 or 2004, and it has grown enormouly. One of my favorite types of gardening is Winter Sowing. Winter sowing allows your seedlings the opportunity to harden off during the Winter months allowing you to begin planting much earlier than most gardeners and farmers, the process if very simple even something the children will have fun joining in on, there are mud pies to be made and decisions on what you want to plant for the new season and collecting the different empty bottles in preparation.

Here are the steps:

Step 1 - Collect all the empty milk gallon jugs that you can even the 2 litre soda bottles and rinse them out with hot soap and water making sure not to leave any soap residue.

Step 2 - Parents should do this part because of the scissors, at about mid point on the bottles/jugs, cut them open but not completely off.

Step 3 - Parents, punch some draining holes in the bottom of these bottles/jugs so that when the weather changes, the rain/snow will be able to drain directly out of the bottom.

Step 4 - Purchase some quality vegetable/flower growing soil like Miracle Grow, its really great it has all the nutrients the seedlings will need to grow strong.

Step 5 - Let's not forget the non-washable marker you will need to mark each bottle so you know what you have planted and how many of them.

Step 6- You will need to make a Map/Legend of what you are planting and it is also good practice to decide where you want to plant what, height and width of a particular plant is also very important to keep track of and how long it will take for a particular plant to grow to maturity.

Step 7- Let's make some mud pies....Have fun

Step 8 - Seal the jug/bottle with some clear packing tape, believe me it i will hold it all together then place all your jugs/bottle outside the house

Oh yeah, when you make mud pies try not to make it soupy or you will have to keep adding more soil so that your seeds do not fall out so keep it firm but moist. I begin in September just when the weather is beginning to get cool, I will double check with my friend up in Saugerties just to make sure and get back to you.

Most importantly, when you place the bottles in your yard or on the porch like I do, make sure you do not leave the caps on, how else will the rain and snow get into the bottle. (Laugh) That is the whole purpose for puncturing the holes in the bottom of the plastic bottles and leaving the caps off, you don't have to worry about remembering to water your new plants.


Here are some photos of my Garden from 2004 here they are, please feel free to comment and ask as many questions as you like.

Baby Cucumber growing up, isn't it cute? Its own vines support the fruit isn't that just motherly? LOL

Cucumbers and Corn growing together in harmony:

The corn is further from you when looking and the cucumbers are facing you. My mistake was that I was too anxious and I planted them in the same pot.....guess who lost.... the corn. The cucumber are very viney and they strangled the corn once it began to reach 7' tall, no corn and plenty of cucumbers, organic mind you. I will not mix them next time that's for sure.

Wait until you see the Wasp nest that is built every year I grow my garden, my motto is don't bother them and they won't bother you; I have not been stung yet, checked out but that's it; wait until you see the photo

Look at them, get closer; they are busy about their business of establishing a nest for the Queen and their young ones. (Smile) My new tenants, non rent paying bleep bleeps! (LOL)

My first Banana /Bell Peppers, they were delicious and crisp, no pesticides in my garden.

Young Pole beans on the vine:

Some ready for cooking:

More youngins, baby peppers, onions and tomatoes: Okay one more photo and I will stop for now, wait until you see my 2007 garden it is going to be awesome




Directly below, Corn and Gourds taking over my deck, that is one other item that takes over everything, Gourds; whoah! talk about pervasive; I plan on planting some for next years garden for sure.

To the left is the corn that actually grew to about 8' before they were totally strangled by the cucumbers and to the left are the gourd leaves of which I only got one of because I planted too late, those leaves were huge as large as a collard green leave, too bad they were not edible.



Just one more photo and then I will close: My Strawberries, the chipmunks had a ball, I don't even think I tasted one.






Okay now that I have talked a bit about one of my other loves, feel free to ask any questions you like, I will do my best to answer them or find someone who will. Have fun checking out my photos and blah blah.

Chow for now