Luxuries, Potatoes and Butternuts

I figured buying all of the materials for the raised beds, seeds and transplants would be pushing the financial envelope enough without garden gadgets. I've been using my husband's shovel and a small little rake and hoe that I believe were once my mother-in-law's. However, most of my close in gardening is done with the boy's toy hand shovel and rake. They're metal and have the cutest little bumble bee handle, and he reminds me often that they belong to him and I need to ask before I use them.

I did purchase a stellar pair of gloves and once I burned the stems of my plants with sprinkled fertilizer, I bought this little beauty.

It's main purpose is to help distribute the liquid fertilizer from the bottle you insert on the other end, but it's real help is that you can switch it to use just water. The nozzle has different settings and my favorite thing is that the trigger locks on or you can turn the whole thing off.

I know many of you have drip irrigation, but the hose I use to water the corner yard doesn't have a nozzle at all and the hose for the other corner yard does have a nozzle, but it's so powerful it will kill you as soon as look at you, let alone shoot all of your soil and plants right out of that box. It really is better suited to pressure wash the driveway. :)

Now I can water with style and even take a break to talk to my neighbor over the fence without letting water run everywhere.

I'm a happy gal.

It's been a while since I've showed you the other corner yard. Things are moving along there quite nicely. The sweet potatoes are just now vining, although some are showing some very holy leaves and others just look quite funky.

The butternut squash looks like it will flower this week. This picture was taken last weekend.

The butternuts are rooting every so often like the sweet potatoes are. Call me ignorant, but I didn't know they did that. Makes me wonder when people say to trellis them....do you take away its ability to get nutrients by not letting it root at every nodule?

The morning comes early. Sweet gardening dreams.