Garden Progress 052410

Let me just say first of all that compared to all of the decades of gardening experience we have in beautiful and fertile Iowa top soil, gardening in Nebraska clay soil SUCKS. And why is it that the big garden that was obviously intended to be a vegetable garden seems to have the clayiest soil on the property? We saw on a gardening show that you could test the "mix" of your garden soil pretty simply. You fill a quart mason jar 2/3 of the way full with soil. Then you fill it with water. Shake it up until your arm is going to fall off. Then give it to someone else and they shake it until their arm falls off. Then you set it on the counter and leave it there for something like 24 hours. Don't remember exactly. But anyway, while it sits it separates. You should end up with 1/3 sand, 1/3 clay, and 1/3 loam. We ended up with 1/8 part sand and 7/8 parts clay. I don't think there was even 1/32 part loam.

So last year we didn't garden in the big garden. We were going to spend the summer amending the soil. Um. Yeah. Not so much. It was kind of a cash thing. Kind of a finding someone to haul that beautiful and fertile Iowa top soil all the way to us clay losers in Nebraska thing. Kind of a two little ones at the house all of the time thing. Kind of a the tiller is an old dinosaur that Husband was sure he could get running but decided it was a piece of carp thing. Kind of a we were just lazy thing. So we gardened a few tomato and pepper plants in the little garden. And they did pretty good. And the big garden was given over to the weeds. Or natural prairie. Just depends on how you frame it, right?

But we still try. Again this year. And yes. I know. It's a little late to be started gardening this year. But that's how we roll. We've been acquiring plants from various venues over the last month. We've planted seeds. Or rather, I've been buying. Jim's been planting. We've lovingly tended little plants and helped them grow to strong. And this weekend was for planting.

Husband spent all of Saturday evening tilling the garden. Then he spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening after the 90 degree weather let off, planting things in the garden. The Babe helped by planting "wonions". I stayed in the air conditioned house and cleaned. See how I am? And what is it with 90 degree weather in May? I mean, it's May for goodness sakes! Not August. And muggy. The dew point yesterday was somewhere in the high 70s. And why is it that I even KNOW what impact the dew point has on the mugginess of a day? And does any state really have 90 degree weather in late May? Certainly not normal for Nebraska.

Sorry, got off track. To the point. Husband planted yesterday.

Today the deer ate most of the plants.

Um. Yeah. I hear ya. My thoughts too.

Now he's out deer proofing what we already thought was deer proof. Which involves fishing line. Which is clear. So you know it will be ME that hits the fishing line.

But that's OK. We'll have Brandywine Tomatoes. So it's all good.