Garden Blogger's Death Day .... The Last For 2009!!

Come on and bring out your dead! Don't be bashful; don't be shy. Wave your failures proudly because at this time of year, it's really not your fault! Ahhh, I love winter GBDDays.


Here are the remains of the broccoli stalks after harvest and the cabbage I ripped out after the infestation of cabbage worms. I don't have a compost pile, but I threw them in the woods behind us instead of in the garbage cans.

Could the demise cabbage be my fault? Yes. I didn't spray them with BT, but they served almost as a trap crop, for the broccoli didn't sport a single cabbage worm all season, so I've made my peace with the cabbage.


This December's Death Day begs the question: Can there be death without life, for nothing much is in the garden at this point. It is winter and nothing much is expected to grow. This used to be a beautiful hanging pot of flowers on our deck. It's dead....but is it? For some reason it keeps wanting to put out new life. I should cut away the dead ends and see if it survives the harsher January and February weather.

Get in on Garden Blogger's Death Day yourself! It's hosted by Kate over at Gardening Without Skills.

Yes, not much is growing at this time in the Corner Yard, but what's marginally hanging on isn't doing too poorly. The garlic here is ready to overwinter, and the rosemary needs cutting back, but I think the plant itself may last another year.

The broccoli in the other corner yard are growing small heads 4 inches across or so. They're growing very, very slowly, but I'm still excited that there's one more broccoli harvest coming in.

Happy New Year!

The morning sure will come early tomorrow. Sweet gardening dreams.

The Promise of Harvests to Come...Barring a Thief

My seed order arrived Monday to much fanfare and tribute. I'm trying some new things this year like the Dragon Tongue beans that Dan suggested and a new lettuce mix, but over all I'm sticking to tried and true this year. Next year I may branch out a bit.

Baker Creek sent me a packet of the Cour di Bue tomato seeds along with my beans which was very kind. I'll not be needing them, so if you would like them, I'll be happy to pass them along. Burpee sent along an extra packet of cucumber seeds that I did not order, which is not normal for them, so I'm half tempted to contact them about returning it as they were so nice to me earlier this week....

I've come to appreciate the personalized, small business mind frame of the seed companies. You know the business they deal with is absurd - ranging from the needs of small home gardeners to larger producers, and the innumerable products they offer, but there's proof to a human hand filling the orders even if it's just check marks on the page, or a courtesy email.

I had to contact Johnny's Seeds and Burpee via email this weekend. Saturday, as the man was checking our statement, we found out some base gutter dweller had stolen our credit card information. We canceled the card, but my charges to these two companies hadn't cleared yet.

Within minutes of the opening of business on Monday, I received emails from both companies confirming the processing of both orders with no problems. It was prompt and kind, and at this point, it was welcomed since now the trouble will start with other establishments we have automatic bill-pay through.

Yesterday, more fraudulent charges appeared on the card, most likely placed on the same day as the first, but not posted by the companies until yesterday. This wretch is content to wrack up the national dept without a moment's hesitation. What's worse is that this unconscionable half-wit is employed by a business we patron locally as the charges are all being made in and around Gainesville which is within an hour from us.

By the pattern of the charges, the feral creature is a woman. Let me give you this advice, you thieving swine: If you're going to steal someone's credit information, take yourself shopping at Saks or other high end retailers dedicated to those with more money than sense, not Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas gifts.

Pay It Forward -- Who's Getting a Package!?

I'm so excited to pass on the gift I got from Granny. The concept of paying it forward is rewarding, especially during the holidays. To choose who gets packages, I put the names of everyone who responded to the first pay it forward post in the drawing.

I used Granny's fool-proof method of choosing names...I wrote them on pieces of paper, put them in a hat and drew names....well, it was supposed to be that easy, but the boy and the girl got in the action. I tried to film the event, but we had to start and stop multiple times. First, the girl decided to make her monster faces and the boy busted out laughing and wouldn't stop. Then, when he had contained himself and I started filming again, she issued a battle cry and threw herself on top of him. We had to stop again. Then, the third try, the boy threw his duckie and the pieces of paper went everywhere.

I began to wonder why I let them help. The allure of acting like a loon in front of a rolling camera is too much to ignore, I suppose. However, we finally chose two names from the hat on the fourth try and the winners are.........

Kalena Michele and Mangocheeks, CONGRATULATIONS! My email address is in the right sidebar. Send me your address and a package will head your way this week. Include your t-shirt size if you don't mind. If you'd rather not receive a package, let me know and I'll choose someone else. Remember, once you receive the package, you should pay it forward yourself.

Congratulations, guys!

On Gardening and Potty Training

I've come to realize potty training is akin to gardening.

Frustrating at times, but rewarding in the end.

I have faith that at least this sleepy little girl won't graduate high school in diapers.

The morning comes early. Sweet gardening dreams.

'Tis the Season...Would You Like Some Seeds?

I filled my new gardening mug from Granny last night with some warm cider with a dram of whisky last night....mmmmmmm. Not sure if that was the use you intended it for, Granny, but it sure was good!! Don't forget to leave a comment under yesterday's post if you'd like to receive a package of goodies. I need to "pay it forward" and will likely choose a name by Friday.

On the same note, I placed my seed orders yesterday!! And then a coupon for my order showed up in the mail today...why does it always work that way?

I went through my seed stack, cleaned it out, and found I have some left over seed that I'll never use this year. None of it is very exciting and most comes straight off of a seed rack, but I feel worse about throwing out good seed than I would putting a Woody or Buzz Lightyear in a garage sale...well, almost worse.

Here's what I have for the taking. Email thecorneryard @ ymail . com with what you'd like and your address.

1. Zipper Peas/Cream Crowder Peas - Fantastic and like a cow pea. They really need traditional row planting and more sun than I can give them. From my local feed store
2. Alaska Peas - local feed store
3. Sweet corn - Delectable Hybrid - burpee
4. Parris Island Romaine Lettuce - ferry morse
5. Iceberg Lettuce - Burpee
6. Soybean - Green Pearls - Burpee
7. Watermelon - sugar baby - ferry morse
8. Sugar Snap Pea - Burpee
9. Black Radish (nero tondo)-johnny's
10. Cabbage - late/Storage green - Johnny's
11. Black seeded Simpson Lettuce - Burpee
12. Super Sugar Snap pea - Burpee

Again, nothing exciting but if you can use them, I'll send them along. If not, there's a vacant lot across the way I could possibly go guerrilla gardening in......at the rate the houses are selling, or rather NOT selling...I may get an entire season out of the lot. Hmmm...I wonder how much trouble I really would get in. The worst they could do is tell me to rip it out, right?

Pay It Forward! **It's My Turn!!**

If you remember, back in November, Granny from Annie's Kitchen Garden received a package from Thomas of A Growing Tradition fame which included some local goods and a jar of his fantastic lemon marmalade from his own lemon tree. Granny has in turn payed the gift forward and I was a lucky recipient!

I must say, I giggled, oohed and ahhed, but it was when I jumped up and down and clapped my hands like a fool that my son came running.

Boy: Mom, what's the matter with you? Who's that package from? Is that hand rake yours? Does that mean I can have mine back?

Whereupon he took my hand and marched me right out to the garden box and stood there, one hand on hip, and pointed. He's not allowed in the garden box because of the pesticides that could be in there. He seldom remembers this, but apparently he had no trouble remembering that I've held his grasshopper hand rake hostage since last winter.

Granny, I thank you, and so does the boy!

There were so many other yummy goodies in the box:
I just adore the cup, I'll surely use the seeds and we're all going to make short work of the jalapeno peanut brittle. I haven't had dates in years and was just eyeballing them in another shopper's grocery cart this weekend, so I'm stoked about scarfing those up. What's best, is there's a jar of Granny's dill relish AND strawberry jam as well. I am perfectly spoiled rotten.

Thank you, Granny!!

Now I get to pay it forward to others. I've already got a few ideas of what I could send. If you'd like to receive a package, just leave a comment and say, "I'm in!" and I'll pull the names by Friday. Gardening gifts in December!! What a treat!

Harvest Monday?

Well, maybe not a 'harvest,' but it was marginally profitable.
I tore all of the remaining broccoli, lettuce and chard from the garden yesterday and found 21 cents in the soil. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was planting or tending the garden some time during the year. I pulled a few 2-3 inch broccoli heads and two kohlrabi bulbs as well.

I looked back at the blog and realized I expanded the corner yard from 2 3x3's to what it is today on December 2 of last year. I can't believe the real foray into Square Foot Gardening took place only a year ago. Now that I'm on vacation, I'm planning on making high rises for my six inch beds in the other corner yard. Six inches just isn't deep enough, or so I found out. I raised my beginning 3x3's last December as well and anchored them together on all four sides with additional wood slats. I'll do the same for the two six inch 3x3's in the other corner yard.

I'm also debating on raising my 8 inch bed behind those two six inch beds so they don't get shaded out, but that bed's 4x8 and I'm afraid a high rise won't sit evenly on it even if I anchor the two together. EG....chime in any time! :)