Farmer Dan

Last fall I decided I wanted to have a little vegetable garden this summer. I've been thinking about it and planning it for several months now (and probably driving my lovely and patient wife crazy with all the garden talk). I got one of those indoor greenhouses and got things started (see above). From left to right, it's zucchini, carrots, broccoli and cucumbers.

Last week, I moved the larger plants (zuke's and cuke's) outside. I must have been too early or too rough or something, 'cause the cucumbers all died - but many of the cucumber leaves looked like they'd been eaten by bugs, so maybe it wasn't anything I did. The zukes look a little limp, but are hanging in there (I think). So far, the bugs haven't chomped them. And whoa, between the digging and raking and bending over to plant the seedlings, I gained a whole new appreciation for the physical rigors of growing food.

Early this morning I went out and did some more digging and raking. I planted a new set of seeds for the 4 veggies I mentioned, plus some lettuce, spinach and marigolds (apparently marigolds help keep bugs away?). I've got some raspberry bushes too, but they're still inside. I hope to get them planted outside soon - just gotta pick a spot.

Who knows if I'll manage to grow anything at all... I know it's not a given. But whether anything actually comes up or not, I'm fascinated by the journey. I'm paying so much more attention now to rainfall, sunshine, temperatures (highs and lows). There's something very cool about it all, and I feel more connected to the world.