Buckets, skirts, flip-flops and a second planting

More buckets?

Lots of stuff going on in the gradual garden today. First of all, I drilled and filled up the last of my kitty litter buckets with the last of my soil today. That necessitated a run to get the buckets in the picture. They were 4 blocks away and free! Can't beat that. I'll be using them for next year's gradual garden expansion. I'll drill drain holes in them tomorrow to save myself time in the spring. Might even get some dirt. I have a little leftover in some starter pots but I doubt it will be enough.

The buckets I drilled and filled today are already in use. Kind of crazy, but both my first planting and my second planting of starter plants went extraordinarily well. So, batch two of peppers, tomatoes and watermelon needed a home and fast! The roots were filling the small pots they were in.

Pretty sure that we're going to be drowning in several kinds of produce this year. That is, if all goes well. We all know how it is with gardens. It's touch and go sometimes. But so far, things are looking pretty good. Can't believe there were no casualties in either planting!

Oh, I almost forgot about the skirts and flip-flops. I've been wearing a lot of them in this stifling heat. So, I discovered another great benefit of bucket gardens. You can bucket garden in whatever you want. Skirts, dresses, granny's nightgown, slippers and flip-flops all work pretty well in bucket gardens. Which is great because it's just too hot for pants and shoes and me in shorts is not a pretty sight these days.

Don't worry. I love myself. I love my life and I love my garden! Just being honest. Have a great afternoon all. I'm off to rest and recuperate from a crazy morning in the garden. Feet up, flip flops hitting floor. Glass of tea by my side. All hail the bucket garden! Friend of the chronically ill, time saver, work saver, etc. etc.

Now if I could just have a bucket house....

Farmer's market shopping tips - It's not all organically grown

The gradual garden isn't big enough to produce everything we need yet. So, in the summer, we supplement at local farmer's markets. Now, you would think buying produce from a farmers market would at least guarantee you local, organic produce. Think again. Farmers markets sell more than just locally grown food. Not all the food at farmers markets is organic, either. You have to pick and choose, just like you do in the supermarket.

The rules for vendors at Metro Denver Farmers Markets, for instance, say nothing at all about being required to sell locally grown organic produce.

When shopping at farmers markets, never assume you are buying local, organically grown produce. It's best to ask each vendor where they get their produce. You may even find vendors at farmers markets selling produce they purchased in bulk from your local supermarket. There's nothing preventing them from doing so. This holds true whether you're in Denver or any other city in the US.

Be careful how you word your inquiries to vendors. First of all, you don't want to offend them. A simple, direct question is best. Is your produce organic? Is your produce grown locally? It's not rude to ask unless you make a big deal out of it or make them feel bad if the answer is no.

If the answer is no, just move on. There's no need for explanations or suggestions. There are plenty of vendors selling locally grown and organic produce at farmer's markets. So, if one vendor doesn't, chances are it will only take you one or two tries to find one that does.

Shopping at a farmers market does increase the likelihood that you will find a variety of organic and local produce. However, there is no guarantee that you will. In the end, whether you're shopping in a grocery store, farmers market or even at a roadside stand, be sure to stay informed about the origin of the foods you're buying.

Bucket garden epiphany in the gradual garden

Dream home dilemma solved!

 I've written about the benefits of bucket gardening many times. They're easy to move around, they use less soil, water and fertilizer, etc. etc. If you'd like to know more on that score, follow that link up there. Because that's not why I'm writing this today. I'm writing it to share my bucket garden epiphany with you.

Gary and I have been thinking that we're not so enamored with the city anymore. Now, it could be years before we get to live our dream life. We have a lot of people depending on us here. We can't just kick them to the curb to head up to that mountain cabin we've been dreaming of. And also, there's the garden. Sigh..... So much loving work has gone into it over the last 6 years. How can I possibly leave it behind?

To be honest, it really tugs at my heart strings. But you know, the other day, I was thinking to myself that at least my buckets are portable. So, if we did decide to take the cabin plunge, even in the middle of gardening season, they could go with us, soil, plants and all. Plus, I have a lot of other outdoor container plants that could join them for the ride. Heck, I even stored the excess awesome soil we just purchased in buckets too, though I didn't do it for that reason.

So that's the main part of the epiphany. Here's the rest. If I were to gradually transition the rest of my garden into buckets and containers, I could take 85% of it with me. Is that awesome or what? Oh, I'd be sure to leave a few things for the new homeowners out of convenience and consideration. For instance, I'm not digging up my roses or anything that's firmly rooted. I might bring some cuttings with me, though.

And hey, epiphany part 3, from now on, when I add things to the flower, herb or veggie gardens, I'll be sure to make them portable. And the raised beds I do have? Well, I can slowly shovel that soil into buckets as well. I'll just set the buckets inside the beds. It won't look silly because I already have a few raised bed frames filled with buckets anyway.

Of course, if we were to move, I would still miss a lot of other things about our first real home together. But now, I at least don't have to miss our garden.

Honestly, you guys should really give this bucket garden thing a whirl. It's so low maintenance for so many reasons. But perhaps the best one is portability. We gardeners are so attached to our little gardening worlds, aren't we? And now that we know we can take them with us just about anywhere we go, the sky's the limit!

Happily sweating it out in the gradual garden

It's hard work but it's worth it!

 I may have a gradual garden, but it's hard work, you guys. Plus, I have to limit my sun exposure, so when I do get out there, I have to go all out, in order to get everything done in a timely manner. But you know what? It's all good. Really it is. Because I reap the benefits daily.

For one thing, staying active keeps me healthier. It keeps the Lupus at bay. I'm saddened when I see so many with chronic illness who don't realize that by bowing to their illnesses (by taking it easy) they're actually making things worse. And yes. There are times when I have no choice but to put my feet up. Absolutely. And I understand that there are those who simply cannot move. But for now, I'm glad that I can sweat it out. It's so good for me!

And here's something else about sweating it out. It's a fat melt-er. It's a serious contributor to all the weight I've been able to shed in the last few years. Yes, my journey toward vegan-ism helps. Still, when that sweat rolls down my face, I smile, thinking of all the pounds disappearing like magic.

Know what else goes out with the sweat? Toxins. And certainly, people who exercise regularly seem healthier for a multitudes of reasons. But one of the surprisingly biggest reasons they appear healthier is because they're constantly shedding toxins. Oh ya. Lots of them. And heaven knows, in this world, we could all use a few less toxins.

Anyway, so yes, I'm sweating it out in the garden, even though I'm content with gradual progress. And hey, it's OK. I'm still getting things done in just a few hours a day. In fact, today, I ran to the garden store for supplies, did some supplemental planting, moved a couple things, trimmed some shrubbery and more, all in the space of a few hours to beat the sun.

PS - Ha ha ha You guys, every time I say shrubbery, I think, “Get me a shrubbery.” Monty Python. LOL Gotta love it!

Gradual garden freebies

Garden pot, frogs and flowers, all free

Here in my gradual garden, I make use of all kinds of recycles, re-purposed items and just general free stuff. It all helps the garden of my dreams come along less gradually. Hey, I'm in no hurry, but why not use freebies to speed things up a bit? Since I'm in forced retirement, with virtually zero personal income, I'm certainly in no position to buy everything I need.

You all know about my kitty litter bucket garden, right? I think it's just awesome that my daughter's 3 cats keep me well supplied with empty buckets for planting. I just drill holes in the bottom, fill them with soil, group them together and voila! Instant raised beds. Now, some people don't like the way they look, so I'm gradually building beds to house them with scrap wood, another freebie. But that's far from all the freebies in my garden.

I have a ton of volunteer plants in the gradually awesome garden. The pretty little violas in the picture floated into that pot all by themselves. Plus, they're scattered all over the yard. Anytime I want some, I just dig them up and move them into a pot. And for sure, they're not expensive to buy, since they're considered annuals. But hey, free is better, right?

I have my hubby's Mom to thank for some of my perennials. Every year, she divides hers and gives me the surplus. This year, I'm going to ask her for some strawberry plants. She has a huge bed of them and I'm pretty sure she'll be weeding them out. Fingers crossed. I don't have any idea why, but my whole crop expired over the winter. They usually come back every year but all my strawberry pots are sad and empty this spring. Strange, right?

Here in the gradual garden, I also take in a lot of sick perennials and nurse them back to health. Those garden center discards are sweeet! Since I spend a lot of time cruising home improvement stores and greenhouses, I often come across carts of plants headed for the trash. So, I'll ask if I can take them off their hands. The answer is usually yes since it saves the employee a trip to the dumpster. They're not usually allowed to give them away but some are glad to turn their back for a second. LOL

I could go on all day about all the free stuff in my garden. Some materials were here when we moved into our house. We just re-purposed them. Some was picked up for free on Craigslist. I even have some plants that were gleaned from landscapers, thinning public parks. All of it takes my gradual garden one step closer to being where I want it to be. But once again, I'm in no hurry. It'll all come together eventually. It's about enjoying the journey for me.

The dirt is coming, the dirt is coming!

Yay! Tomorrow, a yard of new, awesome dirt for my buckets and beds will arrive at the gradual garden. I know only a gardener would be thrilled at this. So I guess I'm officially a gardener. But oh crap, I need to get ready because I only want to tote it around one time.

I better figure out exactly where it's going and exactly where the buckets will sit this year. I've given up on covering up the kitty litter buckets for the sake of appearances because, well, to put it bluntly, fuck 'em if they can't handle the sight of my awesome idea.

So maybe I can take them out of the beds and fill up the beds to gain a little more grow space. You know, because I can then fill the beds and the buckets. Problem there is that the beds will no longer be portable. Decisions, decisions....

I also have two already stationary beds that need to be topped off with new soil. And then, there's my hugelkultur piles. They're finally ready for soil as well. If there's any left maybe we can till it into the new corn “field” spot.

I have a suspicion that the hugelkultur piles might have some mouse families living in them. So, I'm a little hesitant to plant food there. I'll probably turn that area into a flower bed. I don't want to exterminate them, after all.

I'm so glad we decided to get the awesome soil, even though the frugal roots in me are still screaming, since it was double the price. I really do have to learn that some things are worth the extra cost. It's hard to retrain a scrounger. LOL The better soil will definitely help the plants.

As an added bonus, the new soil is part perlite and light as a feather, similar to potting soil. So, since we have to cart it to the back yard via wheelbarrow, I know our backs will be thanking us for investing the extra green.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I'm so excited! I'm such a gardener. LOL

Jaipi say relax, in or out of the garden

Oh man, is it ever hard to relax these days. Even in the garden, right? Society places so much pressure on us to be perfect in every way. Yesterday, I took a deep breath and said, “Jaipi, what the heck are you doing to yourself? You're micromanaging yourself at every turn!” That's just not healthy. Of course, society also tells us we should relax, doesn't it? But no! Because they do it in entirely the wrong way.

Now, I'm going to take you back to my father's garden. He's long gone now, but his ways taught me a lot. He worked hard in that garden, you guys. But he didn't do it because he had to. He did it because he wanted to. He didn't do it for the status quot or the accolades or to show how thrifty he was or any of that rot that our wonderful mass media pounds into your head these days. He did it because he enjoyed it. Yup. You guessed it. My Dad had a gradual garden too.

He didn't worry about what everyone else said he should do with his garden. He took his time and did things the way he wanted. Sometimes he read about how other gardeners did things. But he didn't always do those things. He took that info and adapted it to his slower paced, enjoyable life. Because what's the point in living if you can't enjoy yourself and do it your way and at your own pace?

I think my Dad would have loved my kitty litter bucket garden, you guys. Just saying.

I write a lot of gardening articles. In fact, I have over 6000 articles sitting in my queue right now. I'd say that about a third of those are gardening articles or they refer to gardening in some way. I'm happy to say that those articles are there because I wanted to write them, not because I wanted to be a self made millionaire or some other such nonsense. My garden is there because I wanted to garden and still do. It's not there because gardening is the right thing to do, although it is the right thing for me. It's there for me to enjoy because I do enjoy it.

Anyway, here is my point. Please don't garden just because you have been herded into thinking it's the right thing to do. Please don't do anything because mass media/society/government or even your neighbor or a local master gardener told you it's the right thing to do or the right way to do it. Do it because you love it. Do it because it suits you. Do it because it's how you want to spend your life. And do it YOUR way!

Enjoy your life! You only get one, you know? Stop buying into all those silly little ideas people have about how you should do everything this way or that way, your sheets have to match and by the way, here's how you fold those fitted ones, etc.

You know how I fold my fitted sheets? I don't. I stuff them in the closet and go play in my garden or write an article or a blog post or play cards with the grand-kids or paint or take pictures because that's what I love doing and how I want to spend my time.

And sure, it would be nice if everyone grew their own food. But don't let them fool you. Don't let them tell you that everyone back in the day grew their own food, either. Most did, I guess. But guess what? Not everyone did. That's how gardeners survived. Because even back in the day when things were simple, there were people who didn't have the green thumb or the time to garden. Where do you think they got their veggies? Yup. They bought them from people who loved to garden and were good at it.

Having a garden may not be for everyone. Not everyone enjoys toiling away in the hot sun with sweat dripping into their eyeballs. Just us crazy people. LOL And there's no shame in admitting that gardening is not for you because, guess what? There is something out there that is. Find that something. We need all kinds of people to keep balance in the world.

You're not a loser because you can't garden or write or draw or be a doctor/lawyer/Indian chief or whatever it is that someone has told you that you should shoot for.

But you are a loser if you're not doing what makes you happy in life just because you're following someone elses idea of what you should be doing.

And by the way, it's also OK to suck at what you love doing but keep doing it anyway because it makes you happy. Perfection is not what it's cracked up to be. Your idea of success should not be defined by someone else. It should be defined by you.

You guys, I'm a pretty good gardener. I'm not a great gardener. I'm not a master gardener by any means. I'm also a pretty good writer. I have have no best sellers and that's perfectly OK with me. I'm not a great painter, either. I break all the rules. I use whatever paint, tools and brushes I want to. I'm not an award winning photographer, either. But I take some nice pictures, I write some cool stuff, I grow some tasty veggies, I paint some colorful art and I have fun doing it.

I love my life!

My goal is not to impress anyone or line my walls with trophies. And guess what? Despite that, I am successful anyway. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and hope for the future. Because my idea of success is to live my life in my own way, in my own time and to feel good about who I am and what I stand for. Who gives a crap what anyone else thinks about anything I do? Who cares if I am never famous or popular or whatever. I feel good about my journey toward being who I want to become. I spend time doing the things I love every single day.

In other words, the gradual garden isn't just something I do in my backyard. It's the story of my life. It's the way I do everything. Because life really is about living, not conforming to someone elses idea of how you should live. Jaipi say relax. Breathe! Take life on your own terms in your own way. And if your way is the same as “their” way, that's OK too. Just try not to lose yourself in the mad shuffle of drones. It's not worth the payoff.

Grow your own gradual life garden. The harvest will be spectacular!