sunny day planting.

I couldn't wait any longer to plant, even though I didn't give myself much time. I feel like I have so many plans for my yard but as long as I get a little further each year, I'm okay with it. I'm also okay with planting things and having them go wrong so I can learn - such as my fiasco last year with tomatoes. The pots were too small, holes weren't drilled for drainage on the bottom, I staked them poorly...BUT I learned. And one plant produced! Not large fruit or many, but darn it - I had some tomatoes!

I purchased extra large pots this year and each one has a huge V-trellis that will support the plants much better. A lady that I made friends with at home depot said she always plants marigolds around the bottom of her tomatoes because she heard it keeps the bugs out. I'm not sure if that's true or not - or if I have a bug problem - but I'm trying it because I haven't planted marigolds from seeds before so I'm willing to try anything. I wasn't sure what I was going to plant in the deck flower boxes that were built by amazing family members last year but since that area gets full sun and my yard doesn't, I didn't want to waste the space on flowers but wanted to plant something I could eat! I bought tons of romaine lettuce and to further prove how little I know about plants, I thought the lettuce was in one huge bunch and was surprised when I went to plant that I had purchased way too many as they were all individual leaves! I had no idea how far apart to plant them or how large they will grow...I just guessed and planted the leaves (I can't get over how SMALL they are - about 4 inches apart. I'll read up tonight and see how off base I was.

It got dark so fast since I didn't make it out until late and I was trying to plant flower seeds among the lettuce (the lady at Home Depot recommended some flowers for me to plant amongst them by seed as well...said it would make them pretty). I hope it's okay to do that but as I said before, it's all a learning period for me.

I also planted some red cabbage and Dutch collard greens in a small flower box on the end. Those aren't veggies I eat much of but will certainly indulge if they grow! Romaine - on the other hand - is a staple item around the Bond house which anyone who has had Mark's Caesar salad will understand. :)

I plan on finding a few seconds of spare time and planting rosemary, basil, thyme (same as last year) tomorrow alongside lavender and sage. The last two are news deck plants for me this year and I couldn't find oregano - apparently Home Depot doesn't have any yet. I was really disappointed that they had no varieties of basil other than sweet but I'm keeping a few containers open in case they get some in a few weeks.

I feel a lot more collected now that I got a few things done. There is still so much to do but I am excited to enjoy it...not feel overwhelmed.

local table.

Just finished reading through the Local Table magazine I picked up at Far East the other night. I wasn't even sure what the magazine was and it's amazing! It features restaurants that serve locally grown food, features farmer's markets and CSAs in the area and is a great tool for someone like me that can use any extra information on how to eat/cook and FIND local produce.

I'm really excited about The Feed Mill, an Amish Country Market I noticed advertised on one of the feature ads. I looked it up online - http://www.nolensvillefeedmill.com/ - and am planning on going in the next few weeks. My grandparents raised Belgium horses for years and sold them mainly to the Amish for field work. We had the opportunity to visit many Amish farms when I was growing up and always took an annual trip to their shops to buy candy, baked goods, cheese, etc. I noticed this market also sells antiques and Amish made furniture, which is another passion I'm getting revved up about. Mark and I really want to have a house full of "pre-loved" furniture that we don't mind getting dinged, bruised, scratched...it all just adds to the story! I've been scoping around at the flea market but it's good to know there's another place to check!

I also love the back page of this magazine. It has a seasonality chart for when produce is it's in prime growing season. Not excited for winter when it looks as if sweet potatoes, mushrooms and greens are about all there all to choose from. I'm going to become an expert at making soups! All the more motivation to get involved with canning as soon as I can! A Kitchenaid mixer and a pressure canner are two items I recently added to my birthday/wish list...along with Rosetta Stone. I want to speak Spanish while I'm making tapas. Ole!

csa.

I signed up for a CSA a few weeks ago and am enjoying reading the newsletters and letting the anticipation build! I am currently getting recipes together, planning new gadgets to purchase down the road and reading all I can about grilling, which is going to be my summer hobby. I have a really nice grill that I purchased two years ago and it has sadly been rarely used. I have officially declared Sunday to be Grill Night at the Bond house and am hoping Mark and I can get pretty good at firing it up.

I'm also plotting my mini-veggie potted garden this year. Still a bit too early to plant but I'm mapping it out. Similar herbs to last year - basil, rosemary, oregano - and I know I'm going to add lavendar to the mix. I am also planning out a tomato trellis again the garage surrounded by peppers and cucumbers. I really wish more of my yard got sun but the trees overhanging really block the light. Against my garage and on the deck are the only spots with full sun all throughout the day. I'm going to plant my herbs in pots on the deck and possibly plant in ground next to the garage...depends also if I can keep the dogs OUT. They leave the pots alone but anything in ground tends to get dug up.

I really still don't know what I'm doing as far as planting goes. Just goes to show that being a farmer's daughter still doesn't mean I know how to grow things. And being a painter's wife doesn't mean my house get fresh paint either.... :)