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
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Ich muss mal nach Giersch googeln – davon habe ich noch nie gehört. Wir alle haben es mit invasiven Eindringlingen zu tun. Acht Wochen – das ist fantastisch. Mir war gar nicht klar, dass es so lange ist; wie erholsam. Genieß die Zeit!
With all those fun pumpkins, I hope someone's making pie. :)
ReplyDeleteI love all things pumpkin, you're right someone NEEDS TO MAKE A PIE!
DeleteI love your unruly vegetable patch. The perfect temporary solution!
ReplyDeleteI've never had to deal with Bermuda grass. Is there a permanent fix?
The permanent fix is my determination to destroy it. Ha ha, There is no way I'm getting every root, it feels impossible. However, I'll just keep fighting it what else can you do?
DeleteDreaming 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!
ReplyDeleteThen I would give you 2 pumpkins! Thank you Diana :D
DeleteOverall, 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 :(
ReplyDeleteOh you should, it's been a fun experiment. I think I grew 10 or so varieties and I definitely have A LOT of pumpkins.
DeleteDoes the neighborhood know about the free pumpkins? They'll all have found good new homes in no time.
ReplyDeleteI have told neighbors that walk by I'll be giving them away, I need to put up a sign announcing when... several people want one. Maybe one per child?
DeleteI was thinking this morning, while cutting away more Erodium cicutarium with my too short of a shovel, and you with your spotted spurge, that the gardening bloggers should all get their nemesis plants out of their system and do a post about them. It could be a new meme, In the Trash on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteIn the Trash on Tuesday! I love it. Not only would it be fun to see everyone's nemesis, it would prompt me to weed.
DeleteIn the Trash on Tuesday!!!! Fabulous. I'd have to resurrect my Bishops Weed nightmare. Or maybe I'd post about the ongoing Yucca filamentosa battle.
DeleteOh no, should I be removing mine? What's going on with the Yucca! Bishop's Weed is on the most hated list, I had no idea.
DeletePumpkin carving party at your house. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis past weekend I moved into my new potting shed. :-) Love my new space... everything is organized... for now. Ha, how long will that last. Hee Hee!
That is great news, a fun new spot! I'm guessing the first year you will keep it very organized, after that no telling. ;)
DeleteThat is a lot of cleanup! Love the pumpkins!
ReplyDeleteI vacillate between excitement and dread over removing this damn grass.
DeleteGosh, you have me hungry for Pumpkins, and I don't even like the taste much. I do appreciate them as decorations, along with Squashes, and other autumn decorations. Your harvest on the porch is so impressive!
ReplyDeleteNot even pumpkin bread? They are cheery on the porch, I need to do a big giveaway tho - I don't need all those. They'll fill my compost bins, ha.
DeleteThank goodness our cleanup is much smaller, but it will need to be done soon because autumn is hastening on.
ReplyDeleteThe leaves are everywhere, and the trees still seem full!
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ReplyDeleteIt all looks amazing
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhen you wrote "The porch has more than 50 pumpkins..." I kept staring at the photo trying to see a porch with pumpkins. Duh! (just page down dummy). That's an impressive haul! Good luck with the Bermuda grass....
ReplyDeleteI never know if I should be putting the photo under or over? I've stuck with under, but it does seem awkward sometimes. That freaking grass. Kris dealt with it 15 years, which is not reassuring. Just thinking about it growing into an agave makes me angry.
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