My last post included mostly pretty things. Today I'll show the downright unpleasant.
The time has come to rip out the temporary veg garden up top. Affectionately known as Dirtbag Garden. Because I've been watering the crops, the weeds have grown side by side and IN the garden. The veggies and fruit have been fantastic, and we're still enjoying the kabocha squash and especially the porcelain doll pumpkins. Dang the pumpkins are SO good, firm orange delicate flesh no stringiness. I don't like to talk down on veg, but spaghetti squash is not my thing! For clarification, the garden is in the front portion of the lot. Approx. 65'? wide facing south. Sun exposure 100%. Here I stood across the street and faced the front garden. Our real house is BEHIND that gray house.
A true jungle, what seemed like a decent sized 3' pathway down the center you could barely walk through as the summer went on.
On Saturday, I started removing spent flowers & dried up cornstalks. And the !!*&%$^#
Bermuda grass, it runs and roots and runs and roots throughout the entire area. *I dreamt about those damn roots. This is all I've cleared so far, but you can see the path of black plastic that runs through the center now.
Tracy, why didn't you put more black plastic down in June? Well, because it's slippery to walk on and difficult to spread around.
The porch has more than 50 pumpkins at this point, I keep finding more.
Other than keeping the porcelain doll pumpkins for ourselves, I'm giving pumpkins away to anyone who says "pumpkin house" as they walk by.
I needed you all to hear of my suffering! Every afternoon I will be out in the dirt with a big fork removing Bermuda grass. Knowing that I'm not getting it all caused a good hour of being mad & frustrated yesterday. Then as the lighting changed and my sidekick joined in, my attitude improved.
The start of the garden is just as important as any other! Afterall, this is when I can dream of what it could be. I need to remember the Bermuda grass weeks. Maybe two years from now, when the sunlight is hitting a cactus just right?
Any Fall chores you're looking forward to?
Oh je, bei dir sieht es nach richtig schwerer Arbeit aus. Ich kenne das gut. Hier wächst zwar kein Bermudagras, aber Giersch und schlimmeres. Nie ist der Garten perfekt. Ich darf nicht daran denken, was mich nach unserem Urlaub im Garten erwartet. Acht Wochen sind eine lange Zeit. Und der Winter steht dann vor der Tür. Ich darf nicht klagen, ich habe es ja so gewollt. Bei uns wächst nicht jeder Kürbis, aber Hokkaidokürbis geht gut. Ach wenn ich all die wunderbaren Sukkulenten pflanzen könnte, die es bei dir im Garten zu sehen gibt!
ReplyDeleteViele Grüße Anette
With all those fun pumpkins, I hope someone's making pie. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your unruly vegetable patch. The perfect temporary solution!
ReplyDeleteI've never had to deal with Bermuda grass. Is there a permanent fix?
Dreaming about those roots, that's when you know it's serious! But I love the pumpkin giveaway, anyone who says 'pumpkin house' walks away with one. What a way to make the neighbours smile. I'd happily walk past shouting it!
ReplyDeleteOverall, your so-called "dirtbag garden" has been very impressive, Tracy. I love your pumpkins! I tried growing those once years ago and they were a complete flop but you've convinced me that I should try them again next year. As to the bermuda grass, I've been fighting ours since we moved into our current house 15 years ago :(
ReplyDelete