So Here’s the Thing.
I like running. I do! Not every run, but for the most part. I also like writing, or I never would have started writing here. So why haven’t I been writing much lately? Because somewhere along the line I must have subconsciously decided that I could only write about running here.
And, I have a slight problem with an odd cross between the squirrel syndrome and being obsessive. That combination can be better than it sounds, except for when it’s worst than it sounds.
Last year my squirrel was gardening. One minute I was thinking about how my mom used to grow lettuce in the side yard, the next thing I know I had bought 2 raised gardens and was finding out more than I needed to know about what a too-rainy season in Florida could do to a garden. Also, I now know what an assassin bug is. Just as cool yet not at all cool as they sound. I even started a new blog with my niece to keep track of the garden. Here is where I started, take a look if you are feeling bad about how your yard looks and would like to realize just how great it really is.
Then everything died except the basil plant, then my dogs ate the basil plant, then gardening season was over. On to the next adventure.
Until a few weeks ago when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed reading about all of the GMO veggies in the local grocers and remembered I already had a fence up, why not start another garden? So I bought a bunch of non-gmo seeds from SeedsNow.com and Clear Creek Seeds. And of course since nothing other than radishes, a few cucumbers and the basil lived last year I decided to start bigger.
The 2 square shaped beds are the ones I bought at Sam’s club last year, and I built the L shaped bed in the back a few weeks ago using these directions.
Of course I had to fill the beds and I originally intended to partly use dirt from the yard mixed with other stuff. Then came the next squirrel. The dirt in my yard was full of disgusting things that I found (thanks Google) out are slugs. They live under ground and eat roots and kill all your plants. Even vegetable plants. And did I mention they’re gross? It was a little bit like finding out evil little aliens lived out there.
So I spent the better part of the day Googling how to get rid of them. Guess what? Basically the entire internet laughed and said too bad, all you can do is HAND PICK THEM and drop them in soapy water. Now I swear I’m not a total wimp but no.
As I continued to (desperately) read I found a single ray of hope. My new squirrel. Yep, and I’ll tell you all about them later. That’s right slugs, take THAT!
How about you, do you ever take an idea and start running with it before you know exactly where it is you’re running too? If not I have to say, I highly recommend it. 🙂
I have been thinking about trying to start a garden for years but with the rabbits, chipmunk, deer and my dog i figured out would be a lost cause. Btw what is in the last pic?
I had to put up a fence to keep out my dogs and other critters, so far (cross fingers) that hasn’t been a problem. The last pic is my chicks I bought last weekend!
Gardening! Baby chicks! Ah! This post makes me super happy. I want to start a garden this spring. We have a great backyard for it, I just need to do some research on WHERE to actually begin! Keep sharing the non-running posts. 🙂
You know if you hadn’t been posting all of those pics of your chicks hatching right when I was trying to decide whether or not to get some I may have been able to talk myself out of them. 🙂 I’ve only had them a week but so far they are awesome!
So here’s the thing ! When much of life involves plans it seems cathartic to take detours and natural enough to get passionate about them. Sometimes in retrospect I can connect the dots and see some type of bizarre fit between what seemed like a random aberration and the rest of my life. Other times either I just don’t see it or it really is just a side trip. Either way, always fun. Don’t let the squirrels run off with your lettuce !
I have to admit, the detours are my favorite part.
I think every animal and bug likes to live in my yard. Plus the fact I don’t get much sun. Last year I decided I was going to outsmart them all. I started growing tomato plants from seeds indoors. I bought two planters for tomatoes on wheels so I could move them around to get the sun. When the seedlings I grew were ready to go outside, I put them in the carts. I then put fencing around them to keep out the squirrels and rabbits. I had a bumper crop. There is always a way to skin a cat. You just have to keep working at it.
I put in a new garden area so I could spread out my tomatoes more this year, last year my downfall was an incredible amount of rain – my plants actually molded. I’m hoping this year won’t be so rainy and the space will give them an opportunity to dry out between times. If it doesn’t work this time I’m going your route next time, that’s what some of my neighbors do too!
Ugh!!! Slugs are my bane. I love to garden and slugs make me seriously mad. With spring coming early this year, so are the slugs. The good news is there are some really good solutions out there to abate their onslaught. I use Sluggo an environmentally friendly slug bait that doesn’t harm birds or other animals, just slugs. I love my squirrels too, but they can play havoc on the bird feeders… LOL.
I may have to try that too. These slugs are underground though so I heard they’re difficult to get rid of. But then again, I haven’t actually tried yet. 🙂
That’s how I do everything in life! Get inspired, try it, later learn how I should have done it to save myself all the hassles I now have. Like with starting a blog. I blame it on the creative gene. In fact, I was in conversation with my husband (a very linear-thinking engineer) the other day, when I yelled “squirrel!” and pointed to the backyard. It was really a squirrel, but I’ll never live that moment down.
Have you ever tried using beer or grapefruit peels in your garden to catch the slugs? My parents use them pretty regularly. Beer = cut the bottom off a water bottle (1/2 inch) and fill it with beer and place it in the garden. Slugs are attracted to it for some reason…..I might be a slug. Or even better (2) cut a grapefruit in half peel the rind off (keep it as intact as you can) and up it in your garden. Slugs are attracted to that too. We have turtles so every day or so my parents collect the slugs and feed them to the turtles. You can of course dispose of them however you want.
Haha! I can totally relate to this post. Most of my garden died last year and I like the idea of starting it up again this spring, but not sure I’m ready to tackle that project just yet. Thanks for an enjoyable read.