Digging in the Dirt

The old ceramic bird feeder that wintered neatly against the shed, 
now ready for spring retrieval. (5/24/15)

Our family garden has finally come together over the past two weekends. With my summer break still a few weeks away, and with it more time to dedicate to such things, my wife and I took every opportunity to get between raindrops in an effort to grow some vegetables. As is the case annually, my role is destroy and prepare, while my wife plants and nurtures.

Though our roles stay pretty much the same, we will annually alter our some of the techniques that we employ in an effort to kick-start the garden. This year, for example, we chose not to use compostable paper to minimize weed growth as in the previous two years. Though it did result in an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the garden, the digging in the dirt that comes with hand weeding, is something I enjoy and the mulch necessary (in addition to a few well-placed stones) hold the paper down did not seem to benefit the soil.

There were far fewer weeds this spring due, I think, to the mulch employed
the previous spring to hold down the rolled garden paper. (5/24/15)

As I turned over the surface level dirt with a pitchfork, beautiful brown soil 
was revealed. (6/2/15)

A well-timed rain the evening prior, made the task of weeding and turning over 
the ground much easier. (6/2/15)

Two bags of the compost we earned over the winter thanks to our 
participation in community composting added some valuable nutrients to 
the dirt. (6/2/15)

The crops were rotated this year, with the tomatoes moving front-and-center, 
peppers to the left and squash to the back. Cucumbers were moved to an 
alternate location elsewhere in the backyard. (6/6/15)

Apparently Epsom Salts are good for plants and not just old
people in bath tubs, a misconception I had previously held. (6/6/15)

Read to GROW--ugh! (6/6/15)

While the rabbit clan living under our shed won't eat tomatoes or peppers, 
they do seem to enjoy Brussels sprouts; thus, the "cage." (6/11/15)

The cage came first--one evening after work--and my wife
planted the Brussels sprout plants a few days later. (6/11/15)

With the plants safely in the ground, and with local precipitation plentiful of late, all that's left to to sit back and see how things develop!

Farmers Market Morning

Just as day two of the annual Park Avenue... er, excuse me, Chevrolet Park Avenue Festival is gearing up to begin in our neighborhood, my wife and I set off in the opposite direction this morning, electing to instead go to the Brighton Farmers Market held just outside our urban community at the Brighton High School.

Though we are fortunate to have a number of farmers' markets held throughout the week at conveniently located spots (churches, coffee shops, etc.), it seems that Sunday morning is one of the few days a week when we can actually get to one. Given my recent efforts to improve upon my diet, each weekend trip to the market has become one during which I pick up two staples of my work-week diet: Small World Bakery's cinnamon granola with raisins and large organic free-range eggs from a variety of different local vendors depending on the Sunday.

Occasionally, we'll also pick up herbs for the garden (basil being a common acquisition), as well as standard upstate new york fruits and vegetables, and we have yet to come home empty bagged.